In this episode, Erica D’Eramo sits down with clinical psychologist and behavioral change expert Dr. Marissa Alert to explore the hidden costs of burnout—and what it really takes to create high-performing, resilient teams. After a life-altering car accident forced her to reexamine her own experience with burnout, Dr. Alert founded MDA Wellness to help leaders move beyond surface-level wellness initiatives and address the systemic roots of stress in the workplace.
From the dangers of “presenteeism” to the myth of rest as a reward, this conversation dives deep into the habits and cultural norms that keep burnout in place—and what organizations can do to change course. Whether you're a leader, HR professional, or someone navigating burnout yourself, this episode is full of insight and practical tools.
In This Episode, We Discuss:
- Dr. Alert’s personal journey from burnout to founding MDA Wellness
- Why burnout is so often overlooked and normalized in high-performing environments
- The problem with one-size-fits-all wellness programs
- How the industrial model of work contributes to unsustainable performance
- The critical role of rest and recovery in long-term success
- Steps individuals can take to recognize and recover from burnout
- Strategies for organizations to diagnose and address systemic drivers of burnout
- When to bring in external expertise—and how to tell if your current efforts are falling short
Resources & Mentions:
- Dr. Marissa Alert’s company: MDA Wellness
- Rest Is Resistance by Tricia Hersey
- Dr. Alert’s features in Forbes and Newsweek
Connect with Dr. Marissa Alert:
🌐 mdawellness.com
💼 LinkedIn – Marissa Alert, PhD
📩 Join her monthly virtual roundtables for leaders focused on well-being and performance
Connect with Two Piers Consulting:
🔗 twopiersconsulting.com
📣 Follow us on LinkedIn
Like what you heard?
Please consider subscribing, rating, and reviewing The Two Piers Podcast—it helps more people find these important conversations.
Popular Podcasts
Stuff You Should Know
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.
Dateline NBC
Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Follow now to get the latest episodes of Dateline NBC completely free, or subscribe to Dateline Premium for ad-free listening and exclusive bonus content: DatelinePremium.com
Las Culturistas with Matt Rogers and Bowen Yang
Ding dong! Join your culture consultants, Matt Rogers and Bowen Yang, on an unforgettable journey into the beating heart of CULTURE. Alongside sizzling special guests, they GET INTO the hottest pop-culture moments of the day and the formative cultural experiences that turned them into Culturistas. Produced by the Big Money Players Network and iHeartRadio.