The Hard at Work Podcast

Ellen reflects on a truth many of us avoid: rest isn’t easy. In fact, for a lot of us, rest feels wrong—like we're breaking an unspoken rule. In this solo episode of Hard at Work, Ellen unpacks the layers of grind culture, internalized productivity pressure, and the self-sabotage that shows up when we finally try to slow down.

She kicks off the episode by answering an AMA question from a listener who's struggling to maintain boundar...

What if designing the life you want wasn’t about hustle or luck—but about asking? In this episode of Hard at Work, Ellen Whitlock Baker sits down with educator, consultant, and unapologetic life-designer Anita Verna Crofts for a conversation that spans continents, careers, and hard-earned wisdom.
Anita shares how she negotiated a cross-country, flexible faculty role at a time when remote work was almost unheard of—and why she always...

The workplace is changing fast—and not everyone’s on the same page about what should be happening at work anymore. In this solo episode, Ellen Whitlock Baker unpacks one of today’s biggest workplace tensions: generational friction. Whether you're a Xillennial caught between Gen X and Millennials (like Ellen), a seasoned leader, or a new professional navigating unspoken norms, chances are you’ve felt the friction when someone do...

In this episode of Hard at Work, Ellen sits down with powerhouse leader, mentor, and friend Montique “Mo” Cotton Kelly, Chief People and Culture Officer at the UConn Foundation. With decades of experience leading teams in higher education and advancement, Mo brings a refreshingly honest perspective to what it really takes to lead well in today’s workplace.
Mo shares the lessons she learned as a first-time manager, what keeps her up ...

In this episode, Ellen gets real about what it means to show up at work when life outside of it is falling apart. From grief and caregiving to the dishwasher breaking again, she unpacks what happens when stress becomes your default state—and how to interrupt the cycle before burnout takes over. You’ll learn the basics of the stress response, how to complete the stress cycle, and three small but powerful steps to take when you’re ov...

What if disaster psychology could teach us how to survive the modern workplace? In this powerful episode, Dr. Kira Mauseth—disaster psychologist, clinical expert, and resilience educator—joins Ellen to unpack the real meaning of behavioral health at work. From the difference between mental health and behavioral health to why traditional leadership tactics often fall short, they dive deep into the habits that create burnout, and the...

What do burnout, bias, and boundaries have in common? They’re not just buzzwords—they’re the building blocks of what’s broken (and what’s possible) at work.

In this episode, host Ellen Whitlock Baker reflects on the first six episodes of Hard at Work and unpacks the biggest themes that keep surfacing—from navigating systemic bias and invisible labor to learning how to say no before you collapse.

Whether you’ve been with the show...

Welcome to the Hard at Work podcast — where we say the quiet part out loud about today's workplaces. I'm your host, Ellen Whitlock Baker, a leadership coach, speaker, and 20-year survivor of everything from toxic jobs to leadership burnout. In this very first episode, I share why I created Hard at Work: to challenge outdated workplace norms, explore how the system fails so many of us, and help you advocate for yourself without guil...

What does it really mean to lead in a trauma-informed way? In this episode, Ellen talks with Dr. Kyle Elliott about how trauma shows up at work, how most workplaces could be better at supporting people through it, and what ethical, compassionate leadership can look like instead. We dive into emotional labor, boundaries at work, and the quiet harm caused by overworking culture — and why it’s time to lead like everyone’s been through...

If your workplace is disrespecting your time and energy, it’s not just annoying — it’s unsustainable. In this solo episode, Ellen answers a listener’s question about what to do when your coworker isn’t doing their job and your boss won’t intervene. Then, she dives into the burnout culture that makes boundary-setting feel impossible, and gives you the tools to start doing it anyway. From spacing out meetings to turning off notificat...

What do you do when your boss has no idea what you actually do—and still piles on unrealistic expectations? And what if a coworker tells you to smile more in meetings? In this episode, we tackle two real workplace dilemmas: how to manage up when leadership lacks strategy, and how to push back against subtle (but damaging) workplace sexism. Featuring listener-submitted questions, real-world scripts, and boundary-setting advice to ke...

In this episode of Hard at Work, Ellen sits down with disability advocate and workplace equity champion Greer Procich to talk about what it really means to build inclusive, accessible workplaces—from the inside out. Greer shares her personal journey navigating chronic illness, invisible disability, and burnout in spaces that often expect 100% from employees without offering the support to make that possible.
Together, they dig into ...