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Turning Pain into Purpose -- From Leadership Burnout to Mental Health Advocate: Interview with Justin Azbill | Ep. 24

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Turning Pain into Purpose -- From Leadership Burnout to Mental Health Advocate: Interview with Justin Azbill | Ep. 24

The Bureau of Labor Statistics reports record increases in quit rates, emphasizing the urgency of addressing manager burnout.

…on one hand, stress and burnout among managers not only negatively impact organizational culture but also hinder their ability to foster employee engagement in a highly competitive labor market. On the other hand, the manager’s voice in the workplace mental health movement is essential to it’s success.

In this podcast, I interview Justin Azbill, the Director of National Environmental Health and Safety for Milwaukee Tool and we talk about his experiences with life-threatening burnout and how he turned that pain into the purpose of helping others. His two takeaways for addressing burnout:

  • Be proactive, not reactive.

  • Start and end on a positive note.

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How to Harness the Power of the Whole Brain -- Understanding Neuroplasticity to Change Patterns in Life and Leadership: Interview with Sue Stock | Ep 23

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How to Harness the Power of the Whole Brain -- Understanding Neuroplasticity to Change Patterns in Life and Leadership: Interview with Sue Stock | Ep 23

In neuroscience we often say “what fires together, wires together.”

Imagine your brain is like a big network of roads. These roads are made up of tiny parts called neurons. Neurons are like messengers that help your brain send and receive information. When you learn something new or experience something, like riding a bike or learning a new word, certain neurons in your brain become active…

In this episode, I speak with Sue Stock, an Executive Coach with expertise in neuro-transformation. She shares these two actionable takeaways:

Tip #1 Metaphors challenge the mind

Tip #2 Cross the river and shift your thinking

Who Takes Care of the People Who Take Care of the People? Supporting Our Mental Health Caregivers at Work: Interview with David Otey | Episode 21

Who Takes Care of the People Who Take Care of the People? Supporting Our Mental Health Caregivers at Work: Interview with David Otey | Episode 21

The bias and discrimination associated with mental health can also affect caregivers, leading to feelings of isolation and shame. Caregivers often play a role in advocating for their loved ones, which can involve challenging stigma and discrimination in society, as well as advocating for better mental health services and resources.

In this interview, I chat with David Otey about his journey through depression and his role as a caregiver for others. We highlight these three action steps:

  1. Normalize asking for help — for a person experiencing distress as well as for the caregiver

  1. Make seeking professional help a first step, not a last resort.

  2. In times of change, ask one simple question that leaders can ask to help people get unstuck.

Check-up from the Neck Up – How to Successfully Implement Your Workplace Mental Health Screening: Interview with Maggie Mortali | Ep 20

Check-up from the Neck Up – How to Successfully Implement Your Workplace Mental Health Screening: Interview with Maggie Mortali | Ep 20

Workplace mental health screening should be implemented with sensitivity, respect for privacy, and a focus on providing supportive resources to employees. Organizations can create a healthier and more productive work environment by fostering a culture that prioritizes mental health and well-being.

In this podcast, I speak with Maggie Mortali, Senior Program Director at American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, about how workplaces can encourage mental health self-care by giving workers an opportunity to screen themselves for common mental health challenges. Maggie’s three takeaways:

  1. Confidentiality is key.

  2. Voluntary participation promotes respect.

  3. Be a bridge to resources.

SPECIAL EPISODE The Globalized Workforce, Deteriorating Workplace Conditions & Work-Related Suicides: Interview with Prof Jenny Chan and Prof Sarah Waters | Ep 19

SPECIAL EPISODE The Globalized Workforce, Deteriorating Workplace Conditions & Work-Related Suicides: Interview with Prof Jenny Chan and Prof Sarah Waters | Ep 19

While we are all so very attached to our devices, many do not truly appreciate the dark underbelly of the global electronics industry. In this podcast I interview Prof Jenny Chan, who exposed the hazardous working conditions that contributed to the alarming rates of suicide among workers. Her book “Dying for an iPhone” delves into the exploitative practices prevalent in factories producing popular consumer electronics, shedding light on the long hours, low wages, and relentless pressure faced by employees. In our conversation, she uncovers the intricate web connecting these adverse working conditions, mental health struggles, and the tragic outcomes of suicide. Through poignant stories and extensive research, Prof Chan reveals the urgent need for change, urging consumers, corporations, and governments to address the human cost behind the devices we use and demand ethical practices in the industry.

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Awareness to Action -- Getting a Quick Start on Building a Robust Workplace Mental Health Program: Interview with Steven Frost | Ep 18

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Awareness to Action -- Getting a Quick Start on Building a Robust Workplace Mental Health Program: Interview with Steven Frost | Ep 18

Raising awareness about mental health issues in the workplace is crucial, but it is not enough on its own. Taking action is equally important. Awareness alone does not create tangible changes or provide support for employees who are struggling. Workplace mental health program development should go beyond simply acknowledging the issue and actively work to implement strategies that promote mental well-being, reduce bias, and provide resources for support. By taking action, organizations can create a culture of care, where employees feel supported and empowered to seek help when needed. Action-oriented programs make a real difference in improving mental health outcomes and creating a healthier work environment for everyone involved.

In this interview I speak with workplace mental health advocate Steven Frost. Steven shares these three tips for a quick start to building a workplace mental health program are:

  1. Gain Leadership Buy-in: Messaging of unwavering support from key leaders empowers cultural shifts

  2. Develop a Diverse Team: Representative champion's voices must be heard. 

  3. Gather Resources: Upstream, midstream and downstream

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The Forgotten Survivors -- Co-workers Impacted by Suicide Loss: Interview with Robert & Terri Bogue | Ep 17

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The Forgotten Survivors -- Co-workers Impacted by Suicide Loss: Interview with Robert & Terri Bogue | Ep 17

Many workplaces are affected by the suicide death of an employee each year, especially considering that a large number of people who die by suicide are working-age adults. Even the suicide deaths of recently terminated employees can have a significant impact on their previous workplaces. The loss of a leader within an organization can cause chaos and trauma. Moreover, suicide deaths of family members, vendors, clients, and associates can also affect employees. Unfortunately, most workplaces are not prepared to respond to such deaths. Common models of grief and bereavement support often focus on returning to work quickly rather than providing meaningful support. It is crucial for workplaces to understand grief, trauma, and suicide contagion and develop effective strategies for supporting employees in the aftermath of a suicide death.

In this interview, I speak with suicide loss survivors Robert and Terri Bogue about workplace suicide grief and trauma and survivor guilt. They share these three tips:

  • Acknowledge survivor guilt. Address suicide directly -if someone talks about wanting to die, not wanting to be here, or gives away their prized things. – That’s all you can do. You’re not responsible for their decisions.

  • Meet people where they are in their grief. What do you do when families don’t want the employee’s death discussed as a suicide? Everyone grieves differently. They experience trauma differently. You can’t prescribe how they’ll grieve.

  • Actively build community after a loss. People will feel the loss of relationship. Create opportunities for them to fill that space.

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Your Money and Your Mind -- Enhance Well-being with Financial Fitness: Interview with Robert Khachatryan | Ep 16

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Your Money and Your Mind -- Enhance Well-being with Financial Fitness: Interview with Robert Khachatryan | Ep 16

According to the Money and Mental Health Policy Institute, people with debt are three times more likely to experience suicidal intensity because of the debt. A study by Northwestern Mutual found that 44% of Americans states that financial worries were their #1 stressor, with about one in four stating like they felt depressed about money at least once a month.

Sometimes improving your mental health looks like going to a therapist; sometimes it looks like going to a financial mentor. What most people don’t realize is that many Employee Assistance Programs (“EAP”) have financial counseling services for this reason.

In this episode, I speak with Robert Khachatryan about financial wellness and its connection to mental health. He shares these take-aways:

  1. Provide the tools for financial preventative care.

  2. Create a financially safe space.

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Assess Your Stress -- Tactics to Increase Performance by Taming Tension: Interview with Dena Ali | Ep 15

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Assess Your Stress -- Tactics to Increase Performance by Taming Tension: Interview with Dena Ali | Ep 15

Is “stress” all bad?

No.

In fact if you didn’t have any stress in your life you would be bored — and may even feel a little purposeless. Humans need to be challenged mentally and physically. The good side of stress — or Eustress — is what helps us grow and even reach peak performance. It’s where we are thriving.

But sometimes our stress levels tip from Eustress to Distress. Unchecked distress can lead to other mental health challenges like exhaustion, burnout, and crises.

In this episode, I speak with Battalion Chief of the Raleigh Fire Department and founding member of North Carolina’s Peer Support Program, Dena Ali . We talk about the stress continuum and its impact on work performance, and how a powerful antidote for stress is something we often forget to do: PLAY!

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Climbing Out of Darkness -- What Depression Looks Like at Work: Interview with Mike Jacquart | Ep 14

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Climbing Out of Darkness -- What Depression Looks Like at Work: Interview with Mike Jacquart | Ep 14

Often when people experience depression it feels like being in a deep, dark hole.

At least I know that is what it felt like for me.

When I went through an episode of major depression in 2012, the world felt incredibly dark and cold. My mind was filled with dread and overwhelm. Inside I was telling myself that I was a failure and the everything I had worked for would soon completely fall apart. I lost about twenty pounds in a month because I stopped eating. I didn’t sleep night after night.

On the outside I soldiered on.

It took the loving concern of others around me for me to see it was okay to take care of myself. Sometimes depression at work looks like isolation and sadness. Sometimes it looks like distraction, low stress tolerance, anger or changes in appearance. Sometimes the impacts of depression on performance are obvious, and sometimes they are not.

That said, untreated depression is costly and disruptive at work. According to Forbes, half of depressed employees are untreated costing an estimated 200 million lost workdays each year costing upwards of $44 billion to employers. Often employees feel trapped between feeling very unwell and needing to continue to work. Many don’t feel like they have permission to take care of this part of their health or that if they do, many feel they will be punished for doing so.

In this episode, I speak with Mike Jacquart about his experiences living with depression. We cover his three take-aways from the point of view of someone with lived experience:

  1. Understand the impact of poor self-esteem and depression on work.

  2. Offer hope to those suffering in silence.

  3. Treatment works and transforms lives.

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SPECIAL EPISODE What You Need to Know about the National Guidelines for Workplace Suicide Prevention: Interview with Dr. Jodi Jacobson Frey | Ep 13

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SPECIAL EPISODE What You Need to Know about the National Guidelines for Workplace Suicide Prevention: Interview with Dr. Jodi Jacobson Frey | Ep 13

Most workplaces agree that having a mental health program of some kind is good for their workers, and in turn good for their mission; however, most don’t know what to do besides get the benefit of an Employee Assistance Program. In this special extended episode, I speak with my right hand woman Dr. Jodi Jacobson Frey. Jodi and I co-chair the Workplace Suicide Prevention and Postvention Committee and have collaborated for almost 15 years on how best to support workplaces in developing a robust worker well-being culture. In this episode, Jodi covers these three takeaways:

  1. Take a good organizational look in the mirror

  2. Don’t just check a box

  3. Back it up — bring your plans to life

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Connecting the Dots - Inclusion and Mental Health Culture Change at Work: Interview with Dan Lester | Ep 12

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Connecting the Dots - Inclusion and Mental Health Culture Change at Work: Interview with Dan Lester | Ep 12

In this episode, I speak with the Vice President of Field Culture and Inclusion at Clayco, Dan Lester. Dan is also a tireless mental health advocate. In our conversation, we start to connect these workplace challenges in meaningful ways and get comfortable being uncomfortable.

Three takeaways:

1.    Work to see ALL of the people around you. Even the ones that push you out of your comfort zone.

2.    Get in the game. Behave until you believe. 

3.    Don't forget about yourself. You are the answer to your problems. 

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Sparking Innovation in Workplace Well-Being - Lessons Learned from the Google Sponsored John E. Martin Mental Health Challenge: Interview with Michael Martin | Ep 11

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Sparking Innovation in Workplace Well-Being - Lessons Learned from the Google Sponsored John E. Martin Mental Health Challenge: Interview with Michael Martin | Ep 11

Impact entrepreneurship (aka “social entrepreneurship”) happens when we bring together the mission and heart of a charity model of change and the efficiencies and accountability of a business model. In “Corporate Social Responsibility” models, the main focus is often still profit, but in impact entrepreneurship the “profit” is sustainable impact for the common good.

In this episode, I chat with Michael Martin, Google’s APAC Energy, Infrastructure & Sustainability Data Center Portfolio Manager and the Founder - John E. Martin Fellowship & Mental Healthcare Challenge. Michael shares his lessons learned in sparking innovation in workplace mental health with national social enterprise-style innovation challenges among some of our brightest groups of students.

Here are his three tips:

1.    Vulnerability = courage.

2.    We don't fail, we learn.

3.    Catch people doing good things.

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SPECIAL EPISODE from the International Association for Suicide Prevention: Work-Related Suicide -- How Do We Define and Measure?: Interview with Jorgen Gullestrup & Prof Sarah Waters | Ep 10

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International researchers and advocates from the International Association for Suicide Prevention’s Workplace Special Interest Group are working on a BIG idea.


What do we do when work kills?


How do we — as a global community — take urgent action in order to define, recognize, investigate and prevent work-related suicide?


What are “work-related suicide” deaths? Suicide deaths that are caused in part or in whole by work-related factors.


The IASP Workplace special interest group has highlighted the need to move the workplace focus in suicide prevention from seeing the workplace as simply the venue where interventions can occur but also a place and a connection that interacts with individuals’ suicidal intensity.  What happens when there is a causal link between workplace and suicidal intensity is it enough just to identify individuals and treat or should the workplace itself be treated.  This podcast episode discusses the suicide prevention benefits of acknowledging suicide as a potential consequence of psychosocial hazards in the workplace.


While the workplace can offer a sense of purpose and belonging when working well, it can also be a place fraught with psychosocial hazards that increase distress and despair than can lead to suicide. Research shows that exposure to psychosocial job stressors including lack of autonomy, lack of variety, effort-reward imbalance, bullying and discrimination at work are linked to an elevated risk of suicidal behavior.


Historically, governments and employers have largely attributed suicide risk to personal and medical issues, but with this emerging research we must also acknowledge the workplace contribution. In this podcast I speak with world thought leaders Jorgen Gullestrup of Australia and Prof Sarah Waters of the UK about this paradigm shift and our need to define, measure and regulate suicide deaths related to work.


About Jorgen Gullestrup

Starting his career in the construction industry, Jorgen saw first-hand the impact of suicide on the workers, their families and friends. He also experienced suicide intensity first hand and decided to take action.


Jorgen founded the MATES in Construction program and within the first five years saw an 8% reduction in Queensland construction industry suicide rates was achieved.

Jorgen holds is Masters in Suicidology and was recently named the winner of the 14th Annual LiFE Award in 2018, recognizing excellence in suicide prevention. He serves as the Co-Chair for the International Association for Suicide Prevention’s Workplace Special Interest Group.


About Prof Sarah Waters

Sarah Waters is Professor of French Studies at the University of Leeds, UK. Her research focuses on work-related suicide in France and across the international stage and seeks to understand the complex connections that link contemporary working conditions with the extreme and subjective act of suicide. Her book, Suicide Voices. Labour Trauma in France was published by Liverpool University Press in September 2020.

In her book, Sarah examines testimonial material linked to 66 suicide cases across three large French corporations. She examines ‘suicide voices’ considering how workers themselves describe the circumstances that led them to such desperate extremes in the letters, emails and recordings they leave behind. Why at the present historical juncture do conditions of work push some individuals to take their own lives? What can suicide letters tell us about the contemporary economic order and its impact on flesh and blood bodies? How do suicidal individuals describe the causes and motivations of their act?

Alongside her research, Sarah actively campaigns to improve workplace legislation in order to recognise and monitor work-related suicides. She is part of the trade union Hazards campaign in the UK that lobbies the Health and Safety Executive

She lives in Leeds and is a mother of two teenage boys.


Show Notes

WORK RELATED SUICIDE OVERVIEW: https://research.iscrr.com.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0003/297147/Work-related-fatalities-Overview-of-work-related-suicide.pdf

https://www.liverpooluniversitypress.co.uk/books/id/53177/

http://www.hazards.org/suicide/suicidenote.htm

http://www.hazards.org/suicide/suicidalwork.htm

https://explore.openaire.eu/search/publication?articleId=core_ac_uk__::50394fbea95b8d9643610cf2b5d43dae

https://www.jacobinmag.com/2014/11/capitalisms-victims/

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Beyond Paychecks and Performance -- How Leaders Can Cultivate a Spirit-Infused Workplace: Interview with Robin Szeliga | Ep 9

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Beyond Paychecks and Performance -- How Leaders Can Cultivate a Spirit-Infused Workplace: Interview with Robin Szeliga | Ep 9

For many, fostering well-being at the workplace historically equated to fitness or weight loss challenges. More recently, many companies have been integrating emotional well-being into their benefits programs by augmenting their mental health support offerings. However, what is often left out of these conversations is the spiritual component of workplace well-being.

Some people may bristle at this notion, thinking all we mean is religiosity at work. Spirituality is related to religion for many, and for others it also means finding meaning, value and inspiration beyond ourselves. How spiritual experiences like these show up at work can really make a difference in one’s satisfaction and happiness.

When we have a “spirit-infused workplace” our souls are nurtured, we have a sense of purpose, and we want to better our society and the world we live in. In this interview I speak with long-time friend Robin Szeliga. Robin has been studying the role of consciousness and self-awareness in leadership and how a richer inner life landscape can help transform a workplace that holds deep meaning and connection for its workforce.

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The Wounded Leader -- How Unresolved Trauma Impacts Executive Performance: Interview with Corey Jones | Ep 8

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The Wounded Leader -- How Unresolved Trauma Impacts Executive Performance: Interview with Corey Jones | Ep 8

Behind the masks of many of our most impactful leaders there is often a story

– a story of childhood trauma.

While the psychological insights of resilient childhood trauma survivors give them deep emotional intelligence into what makes other people do the things they do, many of these leaders do not talk about their trauma experiences.

What we know about unresolved childhood trauma is that it often has long-term lingering effects. As trauma expert Bessel van der Kolk says, “The Body Keeps the Score.” In other words, the terror and isolation that exists for many children at the core of their trauma significantly impacts the brain in a way that the effects show up later in life as intense anxiety, numbing, and rage.

One of the most important challenges for leaders who are healing from trauma is gaining the skills to regulate the emotions often hijack a traumatized brain. In this podcast, I interview the inspiring leader and trauma survivor Corey Jones. He shares these important actionable take-aways.

3 Happiness Hacks for Executives and Founders: Interview with Kristin Darga | Ep 7

3 Happiness Hacks for Executives and Founders: Interview with Kristin Darga | Ep 7

In 2015, researchers from the University of California Berkeley, the University of California San Francisco, and The Entrepreneurship Center at UCSF conducted a study on the mental health of entrepreneurs and found that self-reported mental health challenges existed across 72% of the entrepreneurs in their sample. Across their lifetime:

  • 30% had experienced depression

  • 27% had anxiety

  • 29% had ADHD

  • 12% had substance use conditions

  • 11% had a bipolar diagnosis

In this episode I interview Kristin Darga, serial entrepreneur, executive coach and author of “Impact Founder.” Kristin finds that at a minimum having and maintaining a structure and strict boundaries around well being is crucial. She has found through the years of coaching and interviewing executives and business owners that they often neglect their own basic wellbeing needs in order to (…fill in the blank). How are you supposed to lead a team, encourage success, a positive attitude and meet goals if you can't meet your own goals and needs? To this end, Kristin shares these three happiness hacks:

1. The movement-mood connection

2. One-sided self-care support

3. Take back your time

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The 6 "A"s of Advancing a Caring Culture at Work: Interview with Julius Rhodes | Ep 6

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The 6 "A"s of Advancing a Caring Culture at Work: Interview with Julius Rhodes | Ep 6

A when leaders are their authentic selves, they allow others to see more clearly their own self-identity. Isolating and concealing your true identity is exhausting – and wears on your well-being. When leaders are authentic and model their vulnerability through humility, they become more trustworthy. By building trust, they create psychologically safe teams.

In this podcast I speak with HR professional Julius Rhodes and how we can help drive a caring work culture.

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Reclaim Your Moxie -- Workplace Supported Recovery for People Living with Addictive Behaviors: Interview with Dana Piscopo | Ep 5

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Reclaim Your Moxie -- Workplace Supported Recovery for People Living with Addictive Behaviors: Interview with Dana Piscopo | Ep 5

Unaddressed or under-addressed substance use disorders and addictive behaviors result in costly and risky outcomes at work. Most people living with substance use challenges are able to “function” at work, but according to an article published by Harvard Medical School[1], workplaces experiences $81 billion in lost profits due to addictive behaviors. These losses are connected to increases in absenteeism, sick time and turnover and decreases in productivity and quality of work. Furthermore, alcohol and drug use contribute to work-related injuries and fatalities increase both by impairment while working and also the short-term cognitive problems that linger after a heavy night of drinking.

In this episode, I speak with Dana Piscopo of Oracle, a woman in long-term recovery who is advocating for workplace-based peer support for people living with substance use disorders.