We’re taught that hard work, overachievement, and never needing a break are the keys to success. But what if this mindset only leads to burnout, rather than to fulfillment? In today’s episode of Hello Monday, Jessi Hempel and Amanda Miller Littlejohn explore the ways in which rest can be revolutionary.

Amanda, an executive coach and author of The Rest Revolution, shares her personal journey from burnout to healing, and explains how we can all reclaim our health, our productivity, and our joy. Together, Jessi and Amanda dive into practical strategies for finding rest in our busy lives, even when it feels like there’s no time for it.

They discuss:

• The toll of burnout on our mental and physical health
• How the pandemic helped Amanda confront her own dangerous work habits
• The importance of redefining success beyond productivity
• Simple ways to build rest into your daily rhythm
• Why true rest is essential to creating and sustaining new ideas
• How to reset your relationship with work and reclaim your health

This episode is an essential listen for anyone ready to reimagine how to work, live, and rest.

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

Morgan DeBaun didn't let statistical probabilities or conventional expectations hold her back from achieving massive success. As the founder of Blavity and Afrotech, she's redefining what's possible for Black entrepreneurs. In today’s episode, Jessi Hempel sits down with Morgan to discuss the lessons she’s learned on her entrepreneurial journey, and how you too can achieve success on your own terms. 

Morgan’s new book, Rewrite Your Rules, provides a roadmap for anyone looking to succeed faster, with more freedom. She shares her story of building Blavity and Afrotech, how she raised venture capital, and why she believes we all have the potential to achieve the outcomes we want.

Morgan and Jessi discuss: 

• Why failure is an essential part of success and how to start practicing it 
• The importance of embracing periods of stagnation to make room for growth
• Re-evaluating your goals, checking in on your personal growth, and making pivots
• How to overcome fear and self-doubt to create something meaningful at scale
• The moment Morgan almost sold Blavity
• How DEI professionals can adapt to the current landscape

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

In today’s bonus episode of Hello Monday, we’re resurfacing our conversation with branding and marketing experts Steven Wolfe Pereira and Marisa Thalberg. Together with Jessi, they explore what makes a brand memorable and why some brands feel like home while others are simply functional. Drawing from their years of leadership in branding and marketing, Steven and Marisa break down the essential elements of brand-building, revealing why it's critical not only for businesses but also for personal career growth.

Steven and Marisa discuss:

• The importance of defining a brand’s purpose and promise for lasting impact
• Actionable strategies for crafting a standout brand, whether personal or professional
• The “four P’s” of branding—Product, Pricing, Place, and Promotion—and how each contributes to a powerful brand identity
• How a strong brand can shape your business and career journey

Whether you're an entrepreneur or an individual navigating the job market, this episode offers valuable insights on using branding to make a lasting impression.

The Menopause Secret No One Talks About at Work—And Why It Needs to Change

Breaking the Silence: Menopause in the Workplace with Natalie Nixon and Anne Marie Squeo

Why Aren’t We Talking About Menopause? Reimagining Work Culture for All

The Workplace Secret No One’s Talking About: Breaking the Silence on Menopause

Why don’t we talk about menopause at work, when it’s something roughly half the population experiences? Most people with ovaries hit menopause somewhere between the ages of 45 and 55, often at the height of their careers. But for years, they’re left to push through this period silently. Peers and mentors don’t discuss it. Businesses do little to recognize it, let alone accommodate it.

No one is served by this silence. So on today’s episode of Hello Monday, we’re talking about menopause. Jessi Hempel sits down with Natalie Nixon, creativity strategist and president of Figure 8 Thinking, and Anne Marie Squeo, CEO and Founder of Proof Point Communications. 

Together, they discuss:

• Natalie’s experience of going through menopause early and unprepared, following a myomectomy.
• Anne Marie’s experience of juggling menopause, a global pandemic, and her C-suite position at Xerox.
• The unexpected advantages at the intersection of menopause and career
• Managing the symptoms of menopause at work, from irritability, to hot flashes, to sleeping less than five hours a week.
• How we can reimagine a work culture that destigmatizes menopause and better supports the people experiencing it.

Want to keep talking about menopause with us? Join us for Office Hours, Wednesday at 3pm on the LinkedIn News Page

Learn more about menopause through the following resources:

Mayo Clinic: Menopause

The Menopause Society

Let’s Talk Menopause

Melinda French Gates has spent her life navigating pivotal career moments and using her influence to empower others. In today’s episode of Hello Monday, Jessi Hempel sits down with Melinda to dive into how we can summon and own our power, both professionally and personally. From her early days as high school valedictorian to her role as one of the world’s most impactful philanthropists, Melinda shares what she’s learned about leadership, career pivots, and using your power to make a difference.

Melinda and Jessi discuss:

• The role of trusted advisors to guide you throughout your career
• The difference between a mentor and a sponsor, and why having a sponsor is crucial to your success
• How to ask questions and admit when you don’t have all the answers
• Strategies for tackling gender inequity in the workplace
• Re-entering the workforce after parental leave
• Making intentional career pivots and surviving despite fear of a career transition 

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

You’ve climbed to the top of the corporate ladder. But now what? The job is great, but maybe you’re feeling bored, stuck, or ready for something more flexible. What if the next step isn’t another corporate role, but building something entirely your own? Today, we dive into why consulting might just be the career move you’ve been waiting for, and how it offers the ideal balance of flexibility, excitement, and financial success.

Jessi is joined in the studio by Eloiza Domingo, CEO and Founder of FourTen, a consulting firm focused on inclusive strategies for brands. Most recently, she served as the Chief Diversity Officer at Allstate, but when the company eliminated her position, she decided to make the leap to consulting after a successful career in high-level corporate positions. Just eight months in, she’s already crushing it. Eloiza shares her journey and offers key insights for anyone considering making the leap into consulting.

Eloiza and Jessi discuss:

• Why consulting isn’t a last resort, but the future of flexible, high-impact careers
• How to define your own voice and expertise after leaving a corporate role
• How you don’t need to be a salesperson or entrepreneur to succeed
• How to build a team that supports you and helps your consulting business thrive
• The key to finding fulfillment and financial independence

If you're thinking about consulting, or already pursuing it, this episode is packed with practical advice and inspiration to help you take your career to the next level.

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

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.