Being [at Work]

Being a leader is hard. It often feels lonely, like no one understands what you’re going through. Being [at Work], hosted by Andrea Butcher, offers daily encouragement while exploring what it means to be a leader in today’s workplace. Each conversation featured focuses on solving real issues leaders like you face while equipping listeners with tools, strategies, and resources to effectively lead. This isn’t another interview show because–spoiler alert–life isn’t perfect, and neither are you. These are real stories that will transform the way you conduct business, attract talent, and ultimately enhance the entire employee experience.

Daily Dose: What Do You Do When Someone Tries to Take Your Presentation or Meeting in a Different Direction? 05/22/2026

224: Leading When the Need Is Growing and the Environment Is Getting Harder with Kelly Coker 05/21/2026

224: Leading When the Need Is Growing and the Environment Is Getting Harder with Kelly Coker How do you scale impact, protect culture, and sustain your team when the need keeps growing, but the environment keeps getting harder? This is a conversation about leading with clarity, compassion, and boundaries. When the stakes are high and the pressure isn't letting up, what does it look like to step into the CEO role of a growing nonprofit? You’re not alone if you’ve ever found yourself lying awake at 3 a.m., wondering how you can protect your culture, your people, and still make a difference when the world seems to be working against you. Kelly Coker, CEO of Brightlane Learning, joins me to dig into what it really takes to lead with heart, clarity, and boundaries, especially when life and work feel like a never-ending pressure cooker. Right now, the difference you make as a leader matters more than ever. If your organization’s purpose runs deep, and you feel the weight of carrying people, staff and client families alike, through a climate of uncertainty, this episode isn’t just another leadership pep talk. It's the tools, encouragement, and mindsets to help you become the steady hand so many need in an unpredictable world. Kelly shares how she and her team sustain impact while preventing burnout, what it actually means to lead with compassion (without losing yourself), and how building real connection and celebration into your team culture can make all the difference, in any environment. Leadership Lesson Highlights (00:00) How do you lead in today’s environment of uncertainty (02:40) It might take years before you recognize the impact you’re having today (04:03) How does Brightlane Learning serve the community? (07:47) What is a day in the life like for a team member at Brightlane Learning? (10:07) How to recognize and address compassion fatigue in your team (12:00) Building a culture of transparency, celebration, and connection (13:21) What are “culture champions” and why do they supercharge team morale? (17:03) Why collaborative leadership beats going it alone every time (19:20) Navigating political and financial uncertainty without losing hope (24:21) The “West Wing” question every overwhelmed leader needs to ask (25:56) How Kelly personally models self-care and continuous learning for her team (29:04) Why connecting with other leaders outside your sector makes you stronger (30:54) Staying grounded in your ‘why’ and attracting a team that believes in the mission (31:44) How to invite your team into the journey Connect with Kelly Coker Links and Resources Mentioned Brightlane Learning TrueU About Andrea Butcher Andrea Butcher is a visionary business leader, executive coach, and keynote speaker—she empowers leaders to gain clarity through the chaos by being MORE of who they already are. Her experiences—serving as CEO, leading at an executive level, and working in and leading global teams—make her uniquely qualified to support leadership and business success. She hosts the popular leadership podcast, Being [at Work] with a global audience of over 600,000 listeners and is the author of The Power in the Pivot (Red Thread Publishing 2022) and HR Kit for Dummies (Wiley 2023). Connect with Andrea Abundant Empowerment Upcoming Events Subscribe to the Podcast Subscribe in Subscribe in /episode/index/show/hrdadvisorygroup/id/41270420

Daily Dose: What You Want Wants You Too 05/20/2026

Daily Dose: How Do You Stay True to Yourself While Still Growing? 05/19/2026

Daily Dose: We Weren't Meant to Live This Fast 05/18/2026

Daily Dose: The Foundation That Makes Growth Possible 05/15/2026

Daily Dose: What Your Body is Trying to Tell You 05/14/2026

Daily Dose: The Encouragement Ratio That Changes Everything 05/13/2026

Daily Dose: What Encouraging Others Does to You 05/12/2026

Daily Dose: The Thread That Connects Us 05/11/2026

Daily Dose: She's the Evolution 05/08/2026

223: The Work Beneath the Work: How Contemplation Drives Leadership from the Inside Out with Larry Baker 05/07/2026

223: The Work Beneath the Work: How Contemplation Drives Leadership from the Inside Out with Larry Baker Do you ever feel like you’re hustling nonstop, but deep down, something’s missing? Henry David Thoreau wrote that most people live lives of "quiet desperation," and if we’re honest, a lot of us in leadership know exactly what he meant. Larry Baker is a leader who’s spent a lifetime on an inner journey. His daily practice of contemplation transformed not just his career, but his entire outlook on life and leadership. If you crave deeper meaning and want your work to feel purposeful for both you AND your team, this conversation will spark something inside you. Successful leadership doesn’t just come from tactical business moves or working harder. It comes from pouring into yourself, developing your own awareness and resilience, and leading from a place of genuine care. By tending to your own inner work, you create stronger foundations for your family, your team, and your company, especially when life throws curveballs. In this episode, Larry shares how facing his mortality as a child launched a decades-long practice of contemplation, what it looks like to lead from the inside out, and why this “soft work” is actually the hardest and most rewarding thing you can do. We'll dig deep into why putting your people first isn’t just nice, it’s strategic, and why self-knowledge and heart-driven leadership fuel loyalty and clarity when you and your team need it most. By the end of the episode, you’ll have tools and encouragement to take real steps toward your own practice, no matter where you’re starting. You’ll understand how doing the work beneath the work changes everything above it. Leadership Takeaways (00:00) Why leaders feel stuck and where the search for meaning begins (02:22) How Larry Baker's near-death experience transformed his approach to leadership (04:07) How Larry developed his meditation practice, even when it felt like he was failing at it (06:03) Why love, care, and “soft skills” are the hard skills in business (09:24) How the inner journey shaped culture and retention at FleetWatcher (14:00) Step-by-step: How to start a daily practice of contemplation (even if you’re busy) (17:07) The benefits of starting your day with stillness and gratitude (18:45) Practical differences between meditation and contemplation for leaders (23:55) Why the business community must lead with heart (28:04) Embracing our connectedness Connect with Larry Baker Links and Resources Mentioned The Third Eye by T. Lobsang Rampa About Andrea Butcher Andrea Butcher is a visionary business leader, executive coach, and keynote speaker—she empowers leaders to gain clarity through the chaos by being MORE of who they already are. Her experiences—serving as CEO, leading at an executive level, and working in and leading global teams—make her uniquely qualified to support leadership and business success. She hosts the popular leadership podcast, Being [at Work] with a global audience of over 600,000 listeners and is the author of The Power in the Pivot (Red Thread Publishing 2022) and HR Kit for Dummies (Wiley 2023). Connect with Andrea Abundant Empowerment Upcoming Events /episode/index/show/hrdadvisorygroup/id/41053750

Daily Dose: Something Has to Come Off the Plate 05/06/2026

Daily Dose: The One Word Close 05/05/2026

Daily Dose: What Your Stress Response is Trying to Tell You 05/04/2026

Daily Dose: Never Underestimate the Inclination to Bolt 05/01/2026

Daily Dose: This Too Shall Pass 04/30/2026

Daily Dose: Running On Empty 04/29/2026

Daily Dose: Why It's So Hard to Flex in a Challenging Moment 04/28/2026

Daily Dose: The Comparison Trap 04/27/2026

Daily Dose: Plant Something 04/24/2026

222: From Vulnerability to Integration with Dennis Martin 04/23/2026

222: From Vulnerability to Integration with Dennis Martin What happens after you have chosen to be vulnerable? What does vulnerability look like, not as a concept, but as a daily practice? Dennis Martin returns to the podcast to share how leaders can integrate emotional awareness into their daily work without losing their edge. By embracing the courage to be more of who you are, you open the door to greater trust, clarity, and self-leadership. Have you ever reached a point in your leadership journey where you felt like you cared too much? You’re not alone. Throughout this episode, Dennis unpacks his real-life experience as an executive who has made emotional intelligence a daily practice. Together, we break down how feedback, vulnerability, and self-awareness fuel better relationships at work and at home. This matters now more than ever for leaders juggling responsibility, empathy, and connection. This conversation is about building courage, owning your humanity, and leading your team with authenticity and intention. By the end of this episode, you’ll know how to “lead without the armor,” own your emotions, and connect authentically, even when it feels hard. Leadership Takeaways (00:00) You’ve chosen to be vulnerable — now what? (03:13) Why is embracing feedback the first step? (06:22) How to discern between growth opportunities and accepting “who you are” (07:58) Practical tools to regulate emotion in tough moments—feeling wheels, mindfulness, and self-awareness (09:49) What happened when Dennis grew his capabilities for emotional intelligence? (14:02) The importance of being able to share your vision (15:35) How to create a connection through sharing your stories (22:14) Leading with the power of inquiry (26:53) Why you have to deal with the “little” things (29:21) A practice for maintaining courage Listen to Episode 10 - Choosing to be Vulnerable with Dennis Martin About Andrea Butcher Andrea Butcher is a visionary business leader, executive coach, and keynote speaker—she empowers leaders to gain clarity through the chaos by being MORE of who they already are. Her experiences—serving as CEO, leading at an executive level, and working in and leading global teams—make her uniquely qualified to support leadership and business success. She hosts the popular leadership podcast, Being [at Work] with a global audience of over 600,000 listeners and is the author of The Power in the Pivot (Red Thread Publishing 2022) and HR Kit for Dummies (Wiley 2023). Connect with Andrea Abundant Empowerment Upcoming Events Subscribe to the Podcast Subscribe in Subscribe in /episode/index/show/hrdadvisorygroup/id/40879505

Daily Dose: When You Know Better, You Do Better 04/22/2026

Daily Dose: Move Toward It 04/21/2026

Daily Dose: Underneath the Smile 04/20/2026

Daily Dose: Leadership Lessons from Justin at the BMV 04/17/2026

Daily Dose: Which Gear Are You Leading From? 04/16/2026

Daily Dose: Agile EQ - Stretching Beyond Your Default 04/15/2026

Daily Dose: There Have Always Been Times Like These 04/14/2026

Daily Dose: What to Do with "Lotion in the Bangs" Kind of Moments 04/13/2026

Being [at Work]

TOPICS