Looks Like Work

In this conversation with former Resonai COO Natalie Rozenboim, Chedva explores what happens when we achieve the goals we've worked toward, only to discover they don't feel right anymore. They discuss the pandemic's role in prompting career reassessment, the guilt associated with questioning achievements we've worked hard for, and how to navigate changes in what we want from life. Key Topics: The pandemic as a catalyst for questioning career paths The identity crisis of outgrowing professional achievements Guilt and confusion when questioning the life we've built Breaking free from the "sunk cost" mentality Generational differences in approaching work-life integration Notable Quotes: "There's like this pressure to find your thing, which has to encompass so many things. It has to be not only how you make a living, but also something you're passionate about." "You almost gaslight yourself. Like, why would I not want this? The problem is me." "We tend to think we just need to decide what we want and just go for it, but I think it's more of a continuous quest." "We mistake control for progress - holding tightly to answers gives an illusion of forward movement, even when we're standing still." Natalie's Powerful Question: "Am I building the life I want to live, or do I feel trapped in this life? And what am I going to do about it?" Resources & Links: Connect with Natalie on IG https://www.instagram.com/natalie_roz/ Kelly Mindell's blog post "The Year I Built a Life I Don't Want" Book recommendation: "The Neverending Story" by Michael Ende Article: "The Great Resignation and Rethinking Priorities Post-Pandemic"

In this solo episode, Chedva Ludmir introduces the new season of Looks Like Work, focusing on three pivotal questions: What do you do when your dream no longer feels right? How do you reclaim a system built to suppress you? And how are you questioning traditional priorities? She explores the concept of "gateway questions" - those gentle inquiries that help us approach what we're afraid to confront - and shares why staying with questions might be more valuable than rushing to answers. Key Topics: Introduction to the three guiding questions for Season 3 The power of staying with questions even when we crave certainty Using "gateway questions" to approach difficult life decisions How world events have led to deeper questioning of our choices Notable Quotes: "When the world feels like it's on fire, there's this powerful urge to flock behind anyone speaking in exclamation points." "We need gateway questions, those gentle indirect inquiries that help us approach what we're really afraid to confront." "What I could ask myself at that point was: when will I be ready to ask myself that question?" Resources Mentioned: Chedva's newsletter at chedva.substack.com Previous seasons of Looks Like Work podcast

Gil had a front row seat to startup life and to working with celebrities. That experience, as well as defining and differentiating himself as an Israeli lawyer in an American business school, has taught him the value of stories and messaging. We speak about startup life, marketing, influencers, career trajectories and important questions. Links & resources   Stardust Ventures Silverstein Properties Gil’s podcast with Einat Ben Moshe (Hebrew)  Subscribe to the LLW newsletter  Please subscribe, rate & review the podcast wherever you listen. And subscribe to the LLW newsletter for more updates from Chedva!

Many of us can be pretty jaded or cynical when it comes to spirituality - I know I can - but knowing Hila has completely changed my perception of spiritual guides. Hila is as funny, pragmatic, sharp and smart as she is spiritual and heart-led. In this conversation, we dive into notions of abundance and scarcity, ego, effort and how they reflect in life and work.    Links & resources   Hila on Instagram (Hebrew) Hila and Danielle’s podcast - My Happy Place (Hebrew) Subscribe to the LLW newsletter    Please subscribe, rate & review the podcast wherever you listen. And subscribe to the LLW newsletter for more updates from Chedva!

Episode title: The magic of doing - with Lior Barr   Episode description:  Lior is an educator, a musician, a podcast host and editor and also the editor of Looks Like Work. What’s more interesting is Lior’s journey to being a digital nomad in tandem with his wife and baby, while defining his identity, building a brand new work-from-anywhere business and dealing with a world in upheaval. If you’re thinking about becoming a digital nomad or starting a new side project - this episode is for you.   Links & resources Lior’s website Lior on Facebook and on Youtube Subscribe to the LLW newsletter  Please subscribe, rate & review the podcast wherever you listen. And subscribe to the LLW newsletter for more updates from Chedva!

Some people are alarmed by getting “no” as an answer, some people are unphased by it, and some people – like Inbal Boussiba – hate it, and yet use it as their fuel. Inbal and I met up (in person! groundbreaking) to discuss the engine at the foundation of her entrepreneurship, both in the fashion world and the social impact world. We also went deep into our feelings following the last year in Israel - the judicial overhaul attempts, the protests to preserve democracy and the current war. So please note, we get political.   Links & resources Belle & Sue FEZ Studio The Lost Treasure (Hebrew) Subscribe to the LLW newsletter  Please subscribe, rate & review the podcast wherever you listen. And subscribe to the LLW newsletter for more updates from Chedva!

Esty Bitton Shushan wasn’t familiar with the term “feminist”, she sat in meetings dedicated to literally erasing women from ads, radio shows and other narratives and had to write op-eds using her first name initials in order to be able to participate in a man’s world - yet she became a feminist icon who’s brought feminism and choice to the lives of many haredi (ultra orthodox Jewish) women in Israel and beyond as the founder of Nivcharot. I sat down with Esty to discuss activism, art, burnout and what the world sees out of the norm (and how it penalizes women for it until it becomes normalized). Released just after Passover, when we celebrate redemption and freedom, this is the episode for you if you’re seeking courage beyond virtual shackles.   Links & resources Nivcahrot Esty’s artwork on Etsy Esty’s poetry book (Hebrew) Subscribe to the LLW newsletter  Please subscribe, rate & review the podcast wherever you listen. And subscribe to the LLW newsletter for more updates from Chedva!

She went from being Married At First Sight’s first wedding officiant to co-found a startup supporting people going through divorce and other life changes. Still, there's a core truth that runs through Jenny’s career - and it has to do with creating and maintaining systems, taking care of people but also challenging and questioning authority.  In a conversation that could have happened in our IG DMs, we discuss Russian and heartbreak, showing up in the way that you can, and taking a moment to think about things before providing an immediate response.    Links & resources Fresh Starts Registry, Jenny’s company A Fresh Story - Olivia and Jenny’s podcast Subscribe to the LLW newsletter    Please subscribe, rate & review the podcast wherever you listen. And subscribe to the LLW newsletter for more updates from Chedva!

Coaching, guiding and managing alongside startup founders and investors doesn’t sound like a particularly relaxing or slow-paced lifestyle. And yet Rotem Kazir has managed to find her own rhythm within the mayhem - and she’s now coaching founders and investors to take a beat and listen for their pulse, too. We talked about Rotem’s journey in HR, tech and coaching, discovering the mind-body connection as it translates to the hectic entrepreneur’s life and how this all reflects in times of crisis and war.   Links & resources: Rotem’s Linkedin  Subscribe to the LLW newsletter   Please subscribe, rate & review the podcast wherever you listen. And subscribe to the LLW newsletter for more updates from Chedva!

Episode description:  It takes a special kind of courage to gain the professional validation you’ve been looking for your entire career - and then be willing to put it aside in order to restructure your work life to actually work for you. Sivan did just that, and in that, found how silencing distraction is helping her achieve what really matters to her. We discussed clarity and liminal spaces, selfishness and entitlement (are they really that awful?), asking questions and so much more. This one's for you if you’ve been thinking about boundaries lately, or if you’re interested in an open and honest conversation.   Links & resources: Sivan’s Linkedin  Millennials in Tech - Sivan’s podcast Subscribe to the LLW newsletter   Please subscribe, rate & review the podcast wherever you listen. And subscribe to the LLW newsletter for more updates from Chedva!

How do I describe this episode? I can only say I hope every Looks Like Work episode will reach the depth, vulnerability and exploration that I’ve experienced in my conversation with Yakir. Dr. Yakir Englander is the Senior Director of Leadership at the Israeli American Council, a lecturer at the HAR rabbinical school in NY and a Fullbright scholar. He’s also a dear relative and a constant seeker. In our conversation we cover how it is to be a bridge, to get comfortable with questions and with the in-between and link between worlds of experience, knowledge and faith - and how it all connects to our work in life. I hope you’ll take time to sit with this episode and that it will stir or echo something within you.    Links & resources: Yakir’s email IAC Gvanim Subscribe to the LLW newsletter   Please subscribe, rate & review the podcast wherever you listen. And subscribe to the LLW newsletter for more updates from Chedva!

Welcome back to Looks Like Work! To kick off season 2, I sat down with Olivia Dreizen Howell, Co-founder and CEO for a frank and vulnerable conversation about fresh starts… meaning, my own fresh start. Olivia, who was a guest on LLW last season, came to play host and interviewed me about what I learned from my divorce, what it’s like to lose your voice and gain it back and what to expect for season 2 of LLW. I hope you’ll find truth and value in our conversation, and maybe also giggle with us once or twice. Links & resources: Olivia’s episode on season 1 Fresh Starts Registry, Olivia’s company A Fresh Story - Olivia and Jenny’s podcast Simple Script to Support Your People Subscribe to the LLW newsletter   Please subscribe, rate & review the podcast wherever you listen. And subscribe to the LLW newsletter for more updates from Chedva!  

This week we’ve got another Rooms & Words team member on the podcast! Madison T. Clark is a content writer and social media strategist with over eight years of experience in the communications sector. She’s an avid traveler, a long-time remote worker, and a full-time freelance writer.   Together we talk about– Madison’s freelance career & what work looks like for her What “ the future of work” looks like right now Cultivating a team of freelancers How unrecognized work contributes to burnout Learning to talk about money and conflict Creating new opportunities for the next generation   If you enjoy this episode, please subscribe, rate & review the podcast wherever you listen. And subscribe to the LLW newsletter for more updates from Chedva!   Links: Visit Madison’s website Connect with Madison on LinkedIn Learn more about Rooms & Words Mentioned in the episode: Nicole Antoinette, Refinery29 Money Diaries

What’s your relationship with productivity? Are you working to grow at all costs or are you centering ease & joy in your day-to-day?    Today I’ve invited Liron Lavi Turkenich back on the podcast to join me in conversation about our last episode with Jenny Blake and her book Free Time.    Together we talk about– Reframing productivity so it’s not about growing at all costs Creating systems that serve us Letting go of the guilt we feel when time management tools don’t work for us Writing ourselves permission slips to find our flow How to find pockets of time to recharge   Liron shares so many amazing resources. You’ll definitely want to check out the links below, then please subscribe, rate & review the podcast wherever you listen. And subscribe to the LLW newsletter for more updates from Chedva!   Links: Listen to Jenny Blake on episode 14 of Looks Like Work Listen to Liron on episode 2 of Looks Like Work Find Liron’s work & subscribe to her newsletter Follow Liron on Instagram Rahaf Harfoush  Four Thousand Weeks: Time Management for Mortals  

What does it mean to you to start from scratch? How often have you done it in your career or life? This week I’m talking to Osnat Benari. Osnat is a product strategist and builder and an active mentor for startups and young professionals. She is the founder of Web3 strategy & creative agency DragonsCanFly and the author of Starting from Scratch, a book about managing change and making smart career choices.   In this episode, we talk about— The three things you need to start from scratch The importance of having a learning mindset How to develop a personal board of directors   This conversation left me feeling so inspired to keep following my interests and starting from scratch. And now thanks to Osnat, I have a process to guide me.   Links: DragonsCanFly  Starting from Scratch Follow Osnat on LinkedIn From Fraud to Freedom by Phyllis Njoroge   Please subscribe, rate & review the podcast wherever you listen. And subscribe to the LLW newsletter for more updates from Chedva!

2022 is being called the year of anti-ambition, but is that really the case? In this solo episode, Chedva unpacks her relationship with ambition – the good, the bad & the ugly of it – while refusing to agree that being ambitious is inherently toxic.   She explores:  why entering the workforce was so important to her as an ultra-Orthodox woman when her start-up ambitions led her deep into burnout & how COVID made her face the realities of work amidst crisis   Tune in for an open and honest reflection on why we don’t actually want our work to be “on steroids.” As well as Chedva’s thoughts on how we can heal our burnout without giving up our ambitions in the process.    Links: “2022 may be the year my ambition truly dies” in The Cut  The Age of Anti-Ambition in New York Times Listen to Chedva discuss “Torah & Tech in Israel” on BBC’s The Documentary Podcast “I’m not asking people to change their accent for me, just asking for basic respect” Maitreyi Ramakrishnan on Twitter  Rejecting mispronounced & whitened names in Toronto Star “It’s harder than ever to care about anything” in Time ‘My dark secret’: Orthodox women reveal their abortion stories in Forward   Please subscribe, rate & review the podcast wherever you listen. And subscribe to the LLW newsletter for more updates from Chedva!

What can plants teach us about personal growth and business growth? A lot, it turns out! Elisheva Manekin is a plant lover, home decor designer, and the founder of Loop Living. In this episode, she shares how her passion for plants led her to create a thriving e-commerce business, selling botanical wares for beautiful homes. Together, we discuss: believing in ourselves even when others don’t, growing healthy & profitable businesses, managing a team, becoming confident with money, and more.   Links & resources: Loop Living Follow Loop Living on Instagram Follow Loop Living on Instagram (in Hebrew) Make Life Beautiful by Studio McGee Katy Leeson tweet about overworking  Please subscribe, rate & review the podcast wherever you listen. And subscribe to the LLW newsletter for more updates from Chedva!

Have you ever felt burnout? When was the last time it happened, and how did you respond? In this episode, Chedva shares her experiences with burnout and chronic illness as a successful entrepreneur. Then, she welcomes her team to the pod! Rooms and Words team members, Lauren Turner, Michal Shemesh and Navriti Sood join us to reflect on the first six episodes of Looks Like Work and to share their experiences with work, parenting, culture, and of course— burnout.   Links & resources: Katy Leeson tweet about overworking The 7 Types of Rest that Every Person Needs Closing My Restaurant Forced Me to Learn How to Take Care of Myself Can’t Even by Anne Helen Petersen  Burnout by Emily & Amelia Nagoski Rooms & Words Please subscribe, rate & review the podcast wherever you listen. And subscribe to the Looks Like Work newsletter for more updates from Chedva!

How do you stay inspired when making art is your full-time job? Lital Gold is a designer and artist who has worked with global brands including Free People, Anthropologie, Tory Burch and Kate Spade. She also teaches painting workshops at companies like Netflix and Facebook. In this conversation, we discuss how Lital landed her first job with Free People, the many evolutions of her career as a freelance artist and textile designer, the challenges of being a new manager at the start of the pandemic, and how she stays creatively inspired by drawing every day – even if it’s just five lines.  Please subscribe, rate & review the podcast wherever you listen. And subscribe to the LLW newsletter for more updates from Chedva!   Links: Lital’s website Lital’s shop Lital’s Instagram Katy Leeson tweet about overworking  

Close your eyes for a second and imagine what authority sounds like to you. Did it sound anything like your own voice? Casey Erin Clark is a professional actress who, after 18 months on tour with Les Miserables, read the book Half the Sky and got very fired up about issues facing women in the world today. She co-founded Vital Voice Training where she lives out her bio "Loud girl learns to amplify others."  Casey's also one of my favorite people to have meaningful conversations with. In this one, we talk about SO MANY topics, including: accessing your true voice (and not trying to change it to fit!), code switching, falling in love with your many focus areas and learning to live with the fact that your big childhood dream isn’t your only dream anymore, working with partners who have different work styles (and brains), understanding that you deserve ease, pleasure and comfort – and that they hold no less value than perfection.   Links & resources: Vital Voice Training  Casey’s Website  Follow Casey on Twitter & Instagram Dreamers & Doers Sorry to Bother You (film) Rachel Wynn on Casey’s podcast Voice Is Anne Helen Peterson’s newsletter & her book Can’t Even Hustle and Float by Rahaf Harfoush Rahaf Harfoush on Voice Is Katy Leeson tweet about overworking Please subscribe, rate & review the podcast wherever you listen. And subscribe to the LLW newsletter for more updates from Chedva!