Manager on a Mission

What happens to your identity when your job title disappears?Whether you're choosing to leave a long-held career or being forced out by a layoff, most of us skip straight to figuring out what's next — without taking the time to understand who we're becoming in the process. And that's where things can go sideways.In this episode, I sit down with Johanna Danaher, a life and leadership coach who helps professionals navigate not just the logistics of change, but the deeply personal question of who you become after you leave. Johanna brings a rare mix of corporate experience and coaching expertise, and she is refreshingly honest about her own journey.We start with her three anchor points — the framework she uses to help clients move through change with intention rather than reaction. The first is getting honest about what you're actually leaving behind. Not just the job title or the paycheck, but the status, the structure, the sense of being needed. Johanna encourages us to grieve that, not skip it. The second anchor point is identifying what you want to carry forward into your next chapter — the values, the skills, the rhythms that are you, not just your job. And the third is creating intentional space for the things you've been putting off until "someday."We also dig into her Energy Leadership framework, which reframes energy not as something we either have or don't — but as something we can actively cultivate. Johanna explains the seven levels of energy, from catabolic states where everything feels like it's happening to you, all the way up to a place of total consciousness where every challenge becomes an opportunity.And we get real about burnout — not just the dramatic crash version, but the slow-bleed kind that sneaks up on high achievers. Johanna breaks down why the very traits that make us excellent at our jobs — the drive, the high standards, the need to be in every room — are the same traits that can quietly run us into the ground. From glorifying busyness to the 3:00 am self-criticism spiral, she names the signs we tend to miss and offers practical strategies to course correct before we hit the wall.For leaders still in the thick of corporate life, this episode is full of practical, doable tools: using color-coded calendar blocking to protect renewal time, learning to ask whether you actually need to be in that meeting, and understanding that one intentional breath between back-to-back meetings can genuinely reset your nervous system.And for anyone sitting with the question of whether a major transition is right for you — Johanna's message is clear: you don't have to blow everything up at once. Start with the 10% move. One conversation, one connection, one small step in the direction you're curious about. The messy middle is where the real magic happens.Resources:Johanna Danaher on LinkedIn: Johanna DanaherBook a complimentary intro call: via her LinkedIn bioJohanna’s website: https://www.anchortoaspire.com/Energy Leadership Index from iPEC (Institute for Professional Excellence in Coaching)Get Tosca's book - NSFW: A good manager's guide to better feeling work in a toxic culture

When Maximos Lih's grandfather was abandoned as a baby at a Buddhist monastery, the villagers treated him with suspicion, assuming he came from "bad genes." The same person with the same hidden potential could have remained invisible forever—until he entered a different system. At 16, he lied about his age to join the military during wartime, where trust, meritocracy, and mission created the conditions for him to rise to become a four-star general in the Chinese army.But this isn’t a “bootstraps” story. It’s actually one about systems, and it shapes everything Maximos believes about leadership: we're not managing people, we're expressing systems that either unlock or suppress what people are capable of becoming. In this conversation, Maximos introduces a powerful framework that challenges conventional leadership thinking—the difference between being a "hero" manager and being a "host" manager.Hero managers, like characters in Western movies, swoop in to solve problems and then leave. They're constantly firefighting, looking for crises to resolve so they can move on to the next emergency. But host managers make space—they create conditions where hidden potential can emerge. As Maximos explains, his grandfather didn't pull himself up by his bootstraps; someone made the decision to teach him to read, and a manager had to approve giving that person time during their duties to invest in his development.The conversation reveals how first-line managers hold extraordinary power to unlock potential through seemingly small decisions. Maximos shares a compelling example from Google, where a "net neutral" mandate for data centers (originally about dollars in, dollars out) led to carbon-neutral innovations, wind and solar contracts, and data centers built near natural cooling sources—all because host-oriented leaders created space for people to imagine beyond the original parameters.We explore why management has become exponentially more complex, requiring leaders to be therapists, culture builders, hiring strategists, and AI implementers while managing P&L and navigating unexpected layoffs. Maximos, who has worked across 600 companies, offers both philosophical frameworks and practical strategies for managers trying to build something lasting while caring for their people in increasingly challenging systems.Connect with Maximos on LinkedInBook your free 60-minute strategy session and mention Manager on a MissionGet Tosca's book - NSFW: A good manager's guide to better feeling work in a toxic culture

Michael C. Clark used to arrive late to pitch meetings because he was physically ill from nerves. Now he helps founders and nonprofits raise millions. His Personality Pitching methodology transformed him from an introvert who hated pitching into an expert who gets clients ready to pitch successfully in 30 days or less.In this conversation, Michael shares his journey from film and television pitching to building a business that transforms founders, nonprofit owners, and creatives into pitch masters. His transformation began when he realized that not building relationships was costing him deals. Working with Hollywood mentors, he learned that pitching isn't about performing—it's about owning the room and presenting yourself as a valuable opportunity.Michael introduces the "two Cs" that separate successful pitches from failed ones: Confidence and Clarity. Founders often get lost in technical details when investors care about vision and execution, and shifting from a performance mindset to an ownership mindset changes everything. Michael teaches introverts to "turn on the switch" when needed, then return to their natural state afterward.This episode includes powerful success stories, from a founder who went from a 0-11 pitching record to raising $20 million with the same idea—just a different presence. Michael also shares why the same principles apply whether you're seeking investment or donations for your nonprofit.We explore Michael’s comprehensive 90-day program that covers everything from initial pitch development to role-playing tough questions, creating FAQs in advance, and developing multiple pitch formats (elevator pitch, formal presentation, one-pagers). Michael's insight that successful companies like Facebook, Uber, and Airbnb started with humble pitch decks serves as encouragement for founders who see themselves as "little old startups" when they should be owning the room like the million-dollar companies they envision becoming.Resources & Links MentionedMichael’s site: PersonalityPitching.comBook a complimentary Strategy Session with Michael here (mention Manager on a Mission and receive bonus services!)Michael on LinkedInGet Tosca's book - NSFW: A good manager's guide to better feeling work in a toxic culture

After 15-20 years in the corporate fashion world, artist and teacher Chris Vabre felt a huge hole in her life. Despite working in creative industries, she realized she'd completely abandoned her own creative practice—the painting, sculpting, fashion design, and artistic exploration that had defined her childhood. Sound familiar?In this conversation, Chris shares her journey from corporate creative to full-time watercolor teacher and coach who transforms students from feeling "unworthy and not good enough" to confident, clear artists who understand their unique style. Her path began unexpectedly when Skillshare reached out through her jewelry brand website, asking her to teach. 10 years later,, she's built a thriving business helping others reconnect with their suppressed creativity.Chris addresses a crucial societal problem: we've been conditioned to say "I'm not creative" or "there's not a creative bone in my body," despite scientific proof that all humans are inherently creative. She explains how this conditioning particularly affects corporate professionals who've spent decades believing creativity is frivolous or separate from "real work."The conversation offers practical pathways for rekindling creativity, from her free online community where her members provide kind, supportive encouragement, to her tiered programs that help students progress from basic techniques to discovering their unique artistic style to potentially teaching others. Chris also explores the exploding opportunities in creative business, from surface design (art on products) to licensing artwork, showing that creative careers are being invented "right and left."For anyone who's stuffed down their creative dreams so long they're not sure they're real anymore, Chris offers both permission and a roadmap. Her message is clear: that creative yearning isn't random—it's coming from somewhere important, and there's never been a better time to answer its call.Resources & Links MentionedThe Watercolor Journey free group in SkoolThe Membership CommunityThe Art Style Clarity Formula course/group coachingThe Creative Online Teaching Mentorship 12-week 1-On-1 ProgramChris on Instagram Chris on YouTube You Can Heal Your Life by Louise HayGet Tosca's book - NSFW: A good manager's guide to better feeling work in a toxic culture

When Kevin Hubschmann joined event management platform Splash as one of its first 10 employees, he simultaneously launched a comedy career that would eventually replace his tech job entirely. But he didn't quit corporate life to become a standup comedian—he discovered something more powerful: comedy skills are the ultimate professional development tool, and most organizations desperately need them.In this conversation, Kevin introduces the concept of "Laughter as a Service" (LaaS) and makes a crucial distinction that changes everything: there's a stark difference between trying to be funny and using comedy skills to create moments of laughter. While the former leads to awkward jokes in meetings, the latter builds psychological safety, enhances emotional intelligence, and creates genuine human connection.During the pandemic, when comedy clubs shut down, Kevin pivoted to bringing comedians to corporate Zoom audiences. But what started as simple entertainment evolved into something deeper—custom professional development programs that use improv and comedy techniques to address specific business challenges. From healthcare workers to lawyers, sales teams to C-suites, his team develops targeted curricula based on what organizations actually need: better listening, going off script gracefully, creating psychological safety, or simply having each other's backs.The conversation reveals surprising insights about why improv training works so well in corporate settings. It's not about performance or making people laugh—it's about presence. As Kevin notes, many of our favorite moments from movies and TV shows were improvised, created by people being fully present rather than following a script. The same principle transforms workplace interactions.We also explore Kevin's concept of the "after-work comic"—professionals who use comedy as a training tool for growth without quitting their day jobs. His advice for bringing humor to work is counterintuitive: forget the jokes, focus on presence, and connection will follow.Resources & Links MentionedKevin's WorkLaugh.events - Corporate comedy skills training and professional developmentLaughRx NewsletterLinkedIn: Kevin HubschmannBooks MentionedSick in the Head by Judd ApatowSicker in the Head by Judd ApatowGet Tosca's book - NSFW: A good manager's guide to better feeling work in a toxic culture

After spending most of her life denying she had feelings, Christy Pretzinger built a business based largely on helping others develop them. Now CEO of WG Content and founder of The Better Leader Project, she's on a mission to help Gen Z develop the human skills that will make them irreplaceable in an AI-driven world—while creating workplaces where Sunday scaries become extinct.In this conversation, Christy reveals a crucial insight: while AI might excel at tasks, our survival depends on our humanity—except we're terrible at being human. We struggle with vulnerability, curiosity, and empathy—the very skills that make us irreplaceable. This paradox sits at the heart of the workplace crisis facing younger generations who crave authenticity but lack the tools to practice it professionally.Christy shares her observations about Gen Z's relationship with work: they want genuine connection, refuse to leave their emotions at home, and are opting out of traditional management roles after watching their elders get "chewed up and spit out." But notably, they're not opting out of leadership—they just can't reconcile being themselves with the management models they've witnessed.The conversation takes a personal turn when Christy discusses her COVID-era leadership challenges, including having to lay off a third of her company while navigating her own tendency to err too far on the empathy side. Her vulnerability about not being able to do any of the jobs in her company anymore, despite having done them all, offers a refreshing take on what authentic leadership really looks like.We explore practical approaches to bringing appropriate emotion into professional settings, the difference between kindness and weakness, and why the leader's primary job is to remove barriers to their team's success. Christy's framework for helping people practice their humanity in small cohorts offers a tangible path forward for organizations struggling to bridge generational divides while maintaining professional standards.For anyone wondering how to create environments where people can be both human and high-performing, or leaders trying to model authenticity without sacrificing effectiveness, this conversation provides both philosophical grounding and practical guidance.Resources & Links MentionedYour Cultural Balance Sheet by Christy PretzingerThe Better Leader Project - Movement to help Gen Z develop human skills for workChristyPretzinger.comLinkedInWGContent.comGet Tosca's book - NSFW: A good manager's guide to better feeling work in a toxic culture

After failing to become a professional basketball player in Australia, Chris March took a leap that would define the next 16 years of his life—and his entire leadership philosophy. What started as a rite of passage trip to London became a career spanning three continents, multiple industries, and a deep understanding of what middle managers really need to thrive in "the squeeze."In this conversation, Chris shares his journey from Sydney to London to Vancouver to Toronto and finally back home, revealing how each bold move taught him that growth comes from putting yourself in slightly uncomfortable positions. Now an executive coach working with middle managers and seven- to nine-figure founders through The Entourage, Chris brings a unique perspective on navigating the challenging space between frontline work and senior leadership.We explore the reality of being a middle manager—carrying the organization's vision and culture while managing up, down, and sideways with limited resources and often conflicting priorities. Chris introduces the concept of "the squeeze," where middle managers bear the weight of organizational expectations while trying to maintain their own sanity and career progression. His advice? Ask for feedback early and often, turning what most people fear into a powerful tool for growth and team building.Chris shares his daily self-coaching routine using AI, including powerful reflection questions like "What will make today great?" and "What outcome today moved you closer to your overall goal?" He demonstrates how modern tools can democratize access to coaching insights, making professional development accessible even without a formal coach.We also discuss why fear-based leadership is not just outdated but fundamentally counterproductive. Chris's message to middle managers is clear: You're doing important work, and with the right mindset and tools, you can navigate the squeeze while building toward your next career chapter.Resources & Links MentionedChris March on LinkedInchrismarchcoaching.comThe EntourageGet Tosca's book - NSFW: A good manager's guide to better feeling work in a toxic culture

Something fundamental is broken in how we approach leadership when only 19% of employees trust their company's leadership and engagement hovers around 20-30%. Sébastien Page, Chief Investment Officer at T. Rowe Price and author of The Psychology of Leadership, brings 25 years of money management experience and deep psychological research to explain why our narrow focus on goal achievement might actually be killing both performance and engagement.Drawing from sports psychology, Sébastien introduces the critical distinction between ego mindset (focused on KPIs, rankings, and external validation) and mastery mindset (focused on improvement for its own sake). While organizations chase sales targets and quarterly metrics, they miss what actually drives engagement: the excitement of getting better at how we do things, whether that's improving research processes or simply running better meetings.The conversation takes a powerful turn when Sébastien shares his personal encounter with goal-induced blindness. His own near-death experience serves as a stark warning about what happens when we pursue goals at any cost. He shares the example that Everest climbers have a 4% chance of dying—a statistic that should make us question our own "summit or die" mentality in business.We dive deep into the lessons in Sébastien’s book, including why leaders need to master being disagreeable about 10% of the time—picking battles that matter while avoiding both excessive agreeableness and tyrannical behavior. His "10% rule" offers a practical framework for leaders struggling to balance consensus-building with decisive action.Sébastien and I discuss personality traits that predict leadership success, particularly openness to experience—using an interesting spectrum of Jim Morrison (maximum openness) to the Pope (maximum tradition). The key insight: effective leaders need both the innovation that comes from openness and the discipline that comes from structure.Throughout, Sébastien challenges conventional wisdom, arguing that our KPI obsession creates ego-driven cultures where people optimize for metrics rather than mastery. His research-backed approach offers a path forward for leaders who want to build organizations where people are genuinely engaged, not just hitting numbers.Resources & Links MentionedThe Psychology of Leadership by Sébastien PageNSFW - A good manager’s guide to better feeling work in a toxic culture by meSébastien Page - business profile on LinkedInSébastien’s Instagram for his book

What if everything we've been taught about goal-setting is fundamentally wrong for the work we actually do today? In today’s episode, Radhika Dutt, author of Radical Product Thinking, makes the case that traditional goal-setting methodologies are solving a 1940s problem and aren’t helping organizations deliver their best work anymore - and haven’t been for decades. What worked for repetitive assembly line tasks simply doesn't translate to today's creative problem-solving environment.The research is clear: goal-setting excels when there's one right way to do something (like crunches at the gym), but fails spectacularly when applied to strategic puzzles with multiple possible solutions. Instead of targets that create what Radhika calls "soul-sucking" work environments, she proposes thinking in terms of puzzles and experiments—shifting from "Did we hit the number?" to "What did we learn and what will we try next?"We explore Radhika’s proprietary framework which replaces the red/yellow/green status updates of traditional goal tracking with meaningful conversations about actual progress and learning. This approach emphasizes psychological safety, where teams can share both successes and failures without fear of retribution—because in puzzle-solving, failures are data, not deficiencies.Radhika also introduces us to "product diseases"—the common ailments that plague organizations including Pivotitis, Obsessive Sales Disorder, and Hero Syndrome. These diseases often emerge from misaligned goal-setting practices that prioritize metrics over meaningful progress.For managers caught in OKR-obsessed organizations, Radhika offers practical advice on introducing puzzle-thinking gradually, starting with your own team and slowly shifting organizational conversations from targets to learning. The key is creating psychological safety where messengers aren't shot for bringing bad news, and where "How well did it work?" becomes as important as "Did we achieve it?"Resources & LinksRadhika's WebsiteHer books: Radical Product Thinking: The New Mindset for Innovating Smarter and the upcoming book on Goals and OKRsRadhika Dutt on LinkedIn - Share your OLA experiences for potential inclusion in her upcoming bookDownload Radhika's free toolkitGet Tosca's book - NSFW: A good manager's guide to better feeling work in a toxic culture

What makes the difference between organizations that consistently execute their strategies and those that constantly struggle? According to Philipp Schett, it often comes down to how they set and manage their goals.When Philipp Schett moved from Germany to Silicon Valley as an innovation scout for T-Mobile, he expected to find radically different ideas. Instead, he discovered something more powerful: the ideas were similar, but the execution was transformative. The key difference? How organizations set and manage their goals.In today’s conversation, Philipp shares insights from implementing OKRs (Objectives and Key Results) at hundreds of organizations worldwide through his company Wave Nine. We explore why traditional top-down goal cascading often fails to create real engagement, and how involving employees in the goal-setting process can fundamentally change organizational dynamics.Philipp breaks down the critical distinction between setting targets and changing behaviors. A revenue goal of $10 million tells you where to aim but nothing about how to get there. We get real about the challenges of goal-setting transformation, and why quarterly cycles are better than annual ones.We also talk about a surprisingly common pitfall: organizations treating strategic transformation as a side project for junior staff, when it actually requires dedicated leadership attention. Philipp offers concrete advice for anyone looking to improve their organization's goal-setting, whether they're in the C-suite or just starting their career.Resources & Links MentionedEducational ResourcesMeasure What Matters by John Doerr - Foundation text on OKRs with inspiring case studiesWave Nine OKR Crash Course - Free comprehensive guide with 100+ pages of implementation strategiesWavenine.com - Resources and frameworks for OKR implementationOrganizations & LeadersPhilipp Schett on LinkedIn - Regular insights on modern goal-setting and organizational effectivenessWorkBoard - OKR platform company that pioneered software-supported goal managementDeidre Paknad - WorkBoard founder and thought leader in strategic executionGet Tosca's book - NSFW: A good manager's guide to better feeling work in a toxic culture

On October 28, 2025, 14,000 Amazon employees discovered they'd lost their jobs via text message. CEO Andy Jassy claimed it wasn't about money or AI—it was about "culture." His 2024 compensation? Over $40 million.In this episode we’re looking at the truth behind Amazon's massive layoffs, revealing how they’re using culture and innovation as an excuse. How can you claim to care about culture when your actions repeatedly tank your company's morale? And how can you claim “innovation” when you’re following the 40-year old playbook of Jack Welch - the CEO with the now-questionable legacy who made “downsizing” a household word.To get to the truth, we look closely at the post-layoff words from Amazon execs themselves, as well as recent news articles about the devastating job eliminations, and we reconcile it all against facts about the tech industry and AI, middle managers, and startups - what they are, and what they’re not. Spoiler: Amazon isn’t even close to being a startup. Not even the “world’s largest” one.And of course, we talk about what this means for employees of Corporate America - especially the ones who care about the people who actually do the work.Resources & Links MentionedBooksThe Man Who Broke Capitalism by David Gelles -The definitive account of Jack Welch's destructive legacy at GENSFW - A good manager’s guide to better feeling work in a toxic culture (by me)Articles & SourcesAmazon's Official Layoff AnnouncementForbes: "AI Didn't Layoff 14,000 People, Amazon Did"CNN: David Solomon on AI and JobsFortune: Amazon Layoffs and Middle ManagementAmazon Employee Subreddit 

Featuring an Episode of Embrace Your Value - with Jen Anderson and Kristin Burris. Embrace Your Value combines the wisdom of therapy with the empowerment of coaching to help you unlock your worth and take control of your life. In this episode of Embrace Your Value, Jen and Kristen sit down with Tosca Fasso, a former Fortune 100 executive turned author, podcaster, and entrepreneur. Tosca shares her journey from climbing the corporate ladder as an admin assistant to becoming a Wall Street executive, and her ultimate decision to leave corporate America. She discusses the challenges and transformations she experienced, the importance of community, and how she now helps women start their own businesses. Tune in to hear empowering insights, practical advice, and inspiring stories of resilience and growth.Like this episode? Get more Embrace Your Value on Apple and SpotifyGet Tosca's book - NSFW: A good manager's guide to better feeling work in a toxic culture

In this episode C-Suite Advisor, Jonathan Bennett, shares his approach to working with executive leaders, starting with the question "what feels heavy?" to get past surface-level issues. We explore the story of a leader who thought she had a leadership problem when she actually had a business model problem, and discuss why asking "what have you already tried?" prevents you from solving the wrong problem.Jonathan breaks down the differences between coaching, consulting, and mentoring (something I honestly had never thought about previously) explains the three levels of accountability that exist in healthy organizations, and reveals why the best workplaces have psychological safety AND accountability at every level. We also discuss the origins of strong organizational cultures, the risks of bringing your whole self to work, and why clarity about boundaries creates the healthiest workplace relationships.Key quotes:"What feels heavy right now?" - Jonathan's opening question to get past surface issues"What have you already tried?" - The get-out-of-jail-free card question"The first presenting problem is probably not the right one""The healthiest organizations - that third level of accountability happens everywhere, all down the organization""You haven't just had to let somebody go. You've taken a part of them away from themselves" - on the risks of employees over-identifying with their workplaceThe three levels of accountability:Accountability to yourself - doing what you say you'll do, holding yourself to fair standardsAccountability to your team - following through with colleagues, maintaining equityAccountability to the organization - fiduciary duty, caring for the long-term health of the entityConnect with Jonathan:LinkedIn - he responds to DMs!WebsitePrivate Podcast Series: Six coaching sessions you can listen toAdditional note: Jonathan is also a published author of literary fiction and poetry, writing about his childhood in Australia, modern family dynamics, and reflections on fatherhood and life.Get Tosca's book - NSFW: A good manager's guide to better feeling work in a toxic culture

Why do we dismiss the skills that come naturally to us? That's just one of the questions we explore with Brianca Johnson, Strategic Brand and Business Consultant, in this episode. Brianca shares her path from working on political campaigns to building a consulting business that helps women leverage their corporate expertise into consulting roles.We discuss why women minimize their natural talents, how to prove your expertise by documenting quantitative and qualitative results, and why everyone has a unique "fingerprint" in how they work. Brianca explains the importance of developing frameworks that deliver consistent results, tackles the shame around self-promotion that holds women back, and reveals why imposter syndrome disappears when you face the facts of your contributions. We also explore how to set your own pace in business, why you don't need everything figured out before you start, and how being of service is the real mission behind consulting work.Brianca also addresses the visibility challenge for women who've built careers being of service, why shameless self-promotion shouldn't feel shameful if you're qualified, and how to set sustainable boundaries in your business instead of chasing hustle culture.Key quotes:"The things that come the easiest to us are often the things that we are the quickest to disregard""I'm the sauce" - Why your framework can't be replicated without you"Who are you NOT to be of service?""You get to set your pace... My only request would be that whatever boundary you set, you maintain"Connect with Brianca:Briancajohnson.comInstagram: @thebriancajohnson (DM her for a free guide called "The Pivot Plan")LinkedInGet Tosca's book - NSFW: A good manager's guide to better feeling work in a toxic culture

After climbing Mount Kilimanjaro at age 50, John Donnelly - a seasoned mortgage professional - found himself somewhat unexpectedly on a thought leadership trajectory. In today’s episode, John and I discuss leadership in unexpected places, the power of listening, creating your personal board of directors, and how taking action - even when you don't know where it leads - can reveal a deeper purpose. We dive into why leadership matters in real estate transactions and every industry, and explore listening as a superpower using John's "WAIT" acronym (Why Am I Talking). John shares his concept of creating a personal "board of directors" of 10 people to model yourself after, and explains what it means to be a "class act" who shows up with intention. And he explains why he needed to climb a mountain to feel worthy of being on stage.John and I also discuss servant leadership through the lens of wanting more FOR people than FROM them, and hear about the 12-hour walk that led John’s epic mountain hike. He also opens up about being pulled into speaking after achieving something outside his comfort zone, finding purpose by helping others reach theirs, and why you don't have to wait until you "feel ready" to do something brave.Books mentioned:"Mindset" by Carol Dweck"Never Split the Difference" by Chris Voss"The 12 Hour Walk" by Colin O'Brady"The E-Myth Revisited" by Michael E. Gerber"Think and Grow Rich" by Napoleon Hill"Good to Great" by Jim Collins"Your Next Five Moves" by Patrick Bet-DavidKey quotes:"I want more FOR you than I want FROM you.""Are you listening to respond or are you listening to comprehend?""If you don't know your purpose, go find somebody that has one and help them reach their purpose"Connect with John:LinkedIn: John DonnellyCompany: Service First MortgageGet Tosca's book - NSFW: A good manager's guide to better feeling work in a toxic culture

What if you don’t want to just “survive” in your career? What if there’s something else? That’s exactly what we’ll be covering more of in this new era of Manager on a Mission. Of course we’re still talking about how to be a great manager in difficult environments. But we're also exploring what happens when talented people decide there's another path: building something new.This season we’ll be sharing more post-corporate stories and second acts. It’s not about telling everyone to leave their jobs, but about expanding what's possible. And while we’ll have more stories from people who've made the leap, we’ll also feature people staying in corporate but doing it differently, and of course, sassy solo rants from me.Do you have a story I should cover? Let’s connect:LinkedInInstagram - Tosca FassoInstagram - DreamtechEmail: tosca@toscafasso.comGet my book

Today’s episode is exactly what we need for hard times when it seems like good people can’t finish first. My guest is an author, thought leader and visionary who proves every day that principled leadership isn’t just possible but actually drives results. I’m so excited to introduce Irma Neal, who has navigated everything from being the actual Deputy Mayor of Indianapolis to corporate executive positions to building multiple successful businesses, all while maintaining her core principles and beliefs. Irma shares how she identifies and handles people who thrive on chaos, why she always looks at herself first when mistakes happen, and how creating clear values-based boundaries actually empowers teams to self-police toxic behavior.Rather than accepting that you have to compromise your integrity to succeed, Irma shows us how leaders who stay true to their values create loyalty, reduce turnover, and build environments where people genuinely want to contribute their best work. She also reveals why financial wellness programs aren't just nice-to-haves but strategic investments that create measurable returns in productivity, retention, and employee loyalty.Resources:"Leading in Chaos" by Irma NealOnyx Rising website Onyx Rising on Instagram, LinkedIn and FacebookFree Money Mindset QuizIrma Neal on LinkedIn

Many of us secretly (or not so secretly) believe that being successful means being boring, safe, and having basically no fun at work. But if you scratch beneath the surface, you’ll probably remember a few shining moments where you were having a great time AND doing some of the best work of your life. My guest, Todd Schuchart, is all about creating these moments for himself and his teams. Sure, you aren’t going to love everything about your work, but why is it inevitable that we accept environments that squeeze the creativity and humanity out of talented people when we have experts like Todd dedicating their lives to making work more fun and creative?In this episode, you'll learn how to do exactly this from Todd, who went from corporate executive to self-proclaimed "certified goofball" running a multi-million dollar lead generation company. Todd challenges the myth that you have to choose between being successful and being yourself, sharing his "sandbox method" for managing teams and his philosophy that being serious about results doesn't mean you can't have fun doing the work.Rather than accepting the soul-crushing aspects of traditional corporate culture, Todd shows us how setting boundaries, maintaining your sense of humor, and focusing on what really matters can create both better business outcomes and a workplace where people actually want to show up.

Conventional wisdom often says that leadership is about having all the answers. But I’d argue that today’s business world requires the opposite: the skill and comfort to ask the right questions and help teams navigate change and ambiguity. If you’re a leader, I implore you to ask yourself: when was the last time you helped someone see a "failure" as an iteration? Or created space for your team to actually innovate instead of just survive?In this episode, we explore these questions with adaptive leadership coach Valerie Sandjivy, who challenges us to find harmony amidst the chaos by fundamentally reframing how we think about change, mistakes, and what it means to lead.In this moment when businesses desperately need innovation and resilience, too many leaders are clinging to outdated approaches that create fear instead of the creative, collaborative cultures that would actually drive real results and retain talent.Rather than resisting the constant shifts in our world, Valerie shows us how adaptive leadership means staying "one step ahead" by listening to signals and creating with intention instead of reacting from fear. She breaks down her four-pillar foundation for leadership and reveals why the most successful leaders treat every challenge as a training room for the next level.Resources:Valarie’s Free Leadership Self-Assessment QuizValerie Sandjivy on LinkedInBook: "Not Safe for Work: A good manager's guide to better feeling work in a toxic culture" by me

Remember Six Sigma? Before you say “no” and feel super smug that you never had to deal with it, how about Lean UX or Agile? And do you remember how much more awesome work became after your company rolled those out? No? Me either. I know it’s more complicated than that. And maybe some things did improve in some ways. But I have to ask: why do companies insist on chasing trendy, expensive, complicated workflow and productivity overhauls when we already know some very simple things corporations COULD do to truly improve productivity, innovation, and even employee retention. In this episode, we explore this question and look at the reasons why companies continue to chase a new fix while ignoring what we employees already know, including the mounting evidence that "always on" culture actually destroys productivity and innovation.Rather than making us more efficient, this constant availability has allowed corporations to ignore and even indulge in their systemic inefficiencies, passing problems downstream to employees instead of fixing broken processes and placing accountability where it actually belongs.The irony? In this historic moment when U.S. businesses desperately need to be more innovative and competitive, senior executives are turning instead to being more controlling and stifling the creativity and culture that would actually allow them to deliver real impact and results. Resources:Making Time Off Predictable - Harvard Business ReviewDeloitte Workplace Study on Right to Disconnect policiesThat’s What the Money is For! Manager on a Mission podcast episodeFrom Gatekeeping to Gardening Manager on a Mission podcast episodeBooks: "Rest: Why You Get More Done When You Work Less" by Alex Soojung-Kim Pang and Not Safe for Work: A good manager’s guide to better feeling work in a toxic culture by me