14. Busy Isn’t a Badge: Rethinking Work with Kishshana Palmer

Busy is a badge we never asked for—and it’s time to put it down.

In this episode of Hard at Work, Ellen sits down with speaker, strategist, coach, and author Kishshana Palmer to talk about what it really means to lead without burning out—and why “busy” has become the badge no one actually wants to wear -- all topics covered in Kishshana's new book, Busy Is a Four Letter Word.

Kishshana shares stories from building her own boutique firm and managing 40-person teams across time zones, showing us how you can create humane, high-performing work cultures—even inside giant bureaucracies. They talk about the power of micro-cultures, why middle managers carry the heaviest loads, and how to build trust on a team without losing yourself in the process.

From pop culture references to practical delegation tips to a love letter to The Golden Girls, this episode is full of perspective-shifting ideas that challenge what leadership is supposed to look like—and what’s possible when we center people, not performance optics.

🎧 You’ll hear about:

• Why “collegial” is more powerful than “corporate”
• How to build a culture of care in rigid systems
• What middle managers really need to thrive (hint: it’s not a productivity tool)
• What The Golden Girls can teach us about leadership, loss, and starting over
• The courage it takes to begin again after failure—and why we need to talk about it more

📥 Plus: Why every team should do a quarterly step-back, how to let go of busywork, and why showing up with empathy is a strategy, not a soft skill.

Buy Busy is a Four Letter Word here

Visit Kishshana's website