Have you ever felt like you lack agency at work, like your boss doesn’t hear you, or like you need to shift your relationships with the people in charge? Managing up might be the key to creating positive, lasting change. In today’s episode, Jessi Hempel talks with Melody Wilding to give you the roadmap to managing your manager. Melody Wilding is an LMSW, executive coach, and author of the new book Managing Up: How to Get What You Want from The People in Charge.

Melody and Jessi discuss:

• Five conversations you can have with your boss to improve your working relationship
• How managing up is a skill that anyone can learn
• Aligning yourself with your manager to ensure you are working on the right work
• Understanding both your boss’s and your own work style and preferences
• How to give your boss the right feedback in the right way
• How and when to set boundaries at work

Continue the conversation with us at Hello Monday Office Hours! Join us here, on the LinkedIn News page, this Wednesday at 3 PM EST.

How do you balance your calling – the thing you are passionate about, with your career – the thing that pays your bills? In honor of the Oscars this weekend, we’re resurfacing our conversation with actor, writer, director, and producer Jesse Eisenberg. Jesse’s new film, A Real Pain, which he wrote, directed, produced, and co-starred in, has received two Oscar nominations, including Best Original Screenplay. The film has already received wide acclaim this awards season, with Jesse taking home an Independent Spirit Award and a BAFTA Award for Best Original Screenplay.

In this candid conversation, Jesse Eisenberg sits down with Jessi Hempel to discuss the delicate balance between his calling, writing, and his career, which also encompasses acting, directing, and producing. From personal experiences to valuable lessons on handling criticism, Jesse offers practical insights that will resonate with anyone striving to stay true to their creative vision.

Jesse and Jessi discuss:

• Jesse's creative process as an actor, writer, and director
• Overcoming imposter syndrome and self-doubt in the industry
• Balancing commercial viability with artistic passion
• The challenges of handling criticism and staying true to your vision
• How Jesse approaches the business side of filmmaking

For more inspiration, listen to Jessi's conversation with Laura Linney on dealing with criticism here.

Ambition. Is it a dirty word? Do you love the term, or hate it? In this episode of Hello Monday, Jessi Hempel sits down with two incredible colleagues at LinkedIn, Ahyiana Angel and Hayley Saltzman, to explore how our understanding of ambition evolves, and what it means to chase personal growth rather than external validation.

Ahyiana Angel is the Podcast Ad Ops Producer at LinkedIn and the host of her own podcast called Switch, Pivot, or Quit. Hayley Saltzman is an Editor at Large at LinkedIn, recently focusing on vertical video strategy. Together, they reflect on how ambition is often shaped by external expectations and how true fulfillment comes when we start living for ourselves.

In this episode, Jessi, Ahyiana, and Hayley discuss:

• The tension between extrinsic and intrinsic ambition
• Our gendered notions of ambition, and how society’s definition of ambition is often limiting for women
• What happens when you quit a dream job to pursue something more aligned with personal growth
• The relationship between fear and ambition
• Practical tips for reconnecting with your own ambitions and self-worth

If you've ever questioned what success and ambition truly mean for you, this episode is for you. Whether you're navigating career transitions or redefining what ambition looks like in your life, we hope this conversation will inspire you to live and work authentically.

Continue the conversation with us at Hello Monday Office Hours! Join us here, on the LinkedIn News page, this Wednesday at 3 PM EST.

In a world where opinions are divided and polarization runs deep, how can we change people's minds and move them to action? In this episode from the archives, Jessi Hempel sits down with Dr. Marcus Collins to explore how individuals, companies, and brands can navigate our fragmented world with conviction, empathy, and purpose. 

Marcus is an award-winning marketer, cultural translator, and the author of For the Culture, a book that explores the intersection of culture, identity, and consumer behavior.

He and Jessi break discuss:

• How cultural shocks create opportunities for connection, even in a polarized world
• The power of empathy in bridging gaps between people with different worldviews
• Why brands need to take a stand and risk alienating some to build trust with others
• The complex tension between capitalism and democracy, and what it means for brands and consumers
• How technology speeds up our cultural shifts and pushes us to define our place in the world

This conversation is packed with insights on how to move people, not just to buy, but to act and engage, while staying true to the values that matter most. Whether you’re a leader, marketer, or consumer, this episode will make you rethink how you navigate today’s culture and how we all can make a difference in a divided world.

Continue the conversation with us at Hello Monday Office Hours! Join us here, on the LinkedIn News page, this Wednesday at 3 PM EST.

Curious, excited, or even concerned about AI’s impact on your career and the future of work? Whether you're eager to embrace AI or cautious about its effects, this episode with Reid Hoffman, LinkedIn co-founder and author of the new book Superagency: What Could Possibly Go Right With Our AI Future, is packed with insights that will help you navigate the AI revolution, no matter your perspective.

Jessi and Reid discuss:

• Practical strategies for using AI to boost career growth
• Leveraging AI to enhance your job search
• Supercharging creativity with AI
• How to use AI to make better decisions
• Why we should approach AI with curiosity rather than fear

This episode was filmed live in-studio. Check out the full video version on LinkedIn Premium.

Continue the conversation with us at Hello Monday Office Hours! Join us here, on the LinkedIn News page, this Wednesday at 3 PM EST.

Want to learn more about using AI at work and in life? Check out Jessi’s conversation with Ethan Mollick on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts. 

Rest is essential. It’s like food or water; without it, we die. As today’s guest points out though, it’s also a sacred practice.

In today’s conversation, originally held live on Hello Monday’s Office Hours, Octavia Raheem joins Jessi Hempel to talk about, and to practice, rest. Octavia Raheem is a rest coach, yoga and meditation teacher, and author. Her latest book is called Rest is Sacred: Reclaiming Our Brilliance Through the Practice of Stillness.

She and Jessi discuss:

• How rest sparks creativity and connection
• Rethinking productivity through rest
• How to build micro-rest practices into your days
• The power of rest for self-reflection, personal growth, and clarity

Then, Octavia leads us in a transformative guided rest practice that combines mindfulness, relaxation, and breathing techniques.

Continue the conversation with us at Hello Monday Office Hours! RSVP here to join us on the LinkedIn News page this Wednesday at 3 PM EST.

Quit rates are up, burnout is rampant, and your boss wants you in the office five days a week. But Jennifer Moss says work doesn’t have to be this way. In today’s episode, Jessi Hempel and Jen unpack how we can create a better work culture.

Jen is an award-winning journalist, speaker, and workplace culture strategist. She is the author of six books on work and work culture. Her previous book, The Burnout Epidemic, came out in 2022 and her latest title Why Are We Here?: Creating a Work Culture Everyone Wants was released earlier this January.

Jen and Jessi discuss:

• The three qualities at the foundation of a better work culture: hope, purpose, and community
• How to deal with burnout
• How to increase cognitive hope by celebrating small wins
• DEI initiatives and how to foster a sense of belonging at work
• The future of remote work
• Return-to-office mandates and employee flexibility and autonomy

Start every week with Hello Monday, delivered straight to your inbox! Subscribe to the Hello Monday newsletter and never miss an episode. 

What stories do we tell ourselves about the past? How do they inform our present, and our future? Where did we learn them and what if they’re wrong? In today’s episode of Hello Monday, Jessi Hempel sits down with Irvin Weathersby Jr. to explore how we challenge existing systems, and the beliefs and ideas that prop them up.  

Irvin is a Brooklyn-based writer and professor, originally from New Orleans. His new book is In Open Contempt: Confronting White Supremacy in Art and Public Space. In it, he explores the myths about America and its people that are woven throughout our art, our monuments, and our public spaces. And how we can go about unravelling them. 

Together, Irvin and Jessi discuss:

• Centering curiosity and understanding to combat white supremacy 
• Building empathy through storytelling
• The consequences of DEI rollbacks
• Communication across difference

Continue the conversation with us at Hello Monday Office Hours! RSVP here to join us on the LinkedIn News page this Wednesday at 3 PM EST.

There’s a myth about trust: that once you lose it, it’s gone. In reality, most of us walk around losing and rebuilding trust every day. In today’s episode of Hello Monday, Jessi Hempel sits down with Anne Morriss and Frances Frei to get to the bottom of trust and uncover how we build, and rebuild it.

Anne is the co-founder of The Leadership Consortium, a management consultancy that helps organizations unlock leadership potential and drive positive change. Frances is a beloved professor at Harvard Business School and a leading authority on organizational behavior, leadership, and trust. The two are authors of three books together, including Unleashed: The Unapologetic Leader's Guide to Empowering Everyone Around You, and are co-hosts of the TED podcast Fixable.

Together, they discuss:

• The “trust triangle,” comprised of the three qualities that are foundational to trust: empathy, authenticity, and logic. 
• Finding your “wobble,” the quality that wavers, and your “anchor,” the quality that always holds strong. 
• How to build trust as individuals, how to build trust in a team, and how to build trust in a workplace.
• The most common reasons organizations fail when it comes to trust.
• How to transform your leadership for lasting change.
• How to amplify your ambition for faster results.

Continue the conversation with us at Hello Monday Office Hours! RSVP here to join us on the LinkedIn News page this Wednesday at 3 PM EST.

When was the last time you said “no”? In this episode of Hello Monday with Jessi Hempel, Dr. Sunita Sah, author of Defy: The Power of No in a World That Demands Yes, reveals the psychology behind decision-making, compliance, asserting your boundaries without guilt. Dr. Sah’s groundbreaking research on human behavior explores the psychological forces that lead us to follow bad advice and conform to social expectations. She introduces the concept of insinuation anxiety—the fear of giving negative feedback—and how it impacts our ability to speak up, even when something feels wrong. Dr. Sah also discusses how to navigate authority, cultivate confidence, and practice defiance in a way that aligns with your values. Whether you're facing pressure at work, in relationships, or within your own mind, this episode offers actionable strategies for setting boundaries, asserting your "no," and making decisions that truly serve your goals. Tune in for insights on how to build confidence, manage authority dynamics, and defy expectations when it matters most.

Continue the conversation with us at Hello Monday Office Hours! RSVP here to join us on the LinkedIn News page this Wednesday at 3 PM EST.

As 2024 comes to a close, Jessi Hempel invites you to kick off the new year by crafting a vision for your future. In this special episode of Hello Monday, Jessi shares a powerful exercise–writing a “dream job description” for your life five years from now. Inspired by her own transformative experience, Jessi walks you through the process of envisioning your ideal job, the role that aligns with your values, passions, and dreams, without limiting yourself by what's “realistic.”

Rather than focusing on New Year's resolutions, which often feel dictated by external pressures, Jessi encourages you to tap into the power of your own imagination. This exercise is designed to help you break free from self-doubt and the negative biases that limit your growth, and instead, to visualize and manifest your dream future. Jessi’s personal story of using this exercise to transform her career path from burnout to fulfillment will inspire you to take action and start shaping your ideal future today.

Start your year with a clear vision of the future you want to create. Grab a pencil, clear your mind, and get ready to dive into this transformative exercise with Jessi. 

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