Episode 28 - Resist. Speak Up. Do Good with Marion Anderson

Marion Anderson is a Scottish expat living in North West Arkansas, the Co-founder and CEO of The Fearless PX, and co-host of The Elephant in the Org podcast—where workplace taboos get the airtime they deserve. Currently pursuing a PhD, her research dives into psychological safety and how companies are (or aren’t) getting it right when it comes to remote, hybrid, and return-to-office policies. When not debating the future of work, she’s a devoted dog parent to Jack and Talisker—the latter named after her favorite Scottish whisky, of course. Expect hot takes, humor, and just the right amount of rebellion.

What we talk about:

• 01:48 – Growing up in 1980s West of Scotland: poverty, violence, and early caregiving

• 03:36 – The strategic good girl: how conditioning served and harmed

• 04:04 – Rebellion in HR: rejecting outdated norms and using data-driven influence

• 05:59 – Class trauma, food insecurity, and safety behaviours that linger

• 07:18 – Avoiding more dangerous paths: controlled rebellion and survival

• 08:42 – Caring for her father through illness and dementia from a young age

• 10:15 – Making the impossible decision to place her dad in care

• 14:16 – Grieving through dementia: ongoing loss and emotional suppression

• 19:06 – Burnout in the Middle East: filling the void with work and others’ problems

• 19:41 – Complex PTSD and the realisation of deep emotional damage

• 21:16 – The origin of Marion’s PhD: why workplace inclusion for carers matters

• 24:23 – The George Banks problem: work built for men, not women

• 25:23 – Elon, inequality, and the illusion of meritocracy

• 27:59 – The cost of existing and how working class women are punished

• 28:36 – Living in the US South: brainwashing, amnesia, and resistance

• 31:23 – The call to arms: speak up, be a nasty woman, use your power

• 33:01 – Research as resistance: how people still want to be heard

• 37:42 – Why psychological safety must not be the next DEI casualty

• 39:50 – The business case is clear—but control and conformity are rising

• 40:47 – Final words: resist, speak up, do good—because it’s the right thing

Follow Marion on social media:  

Linkedin  - https://www.linkedin.com/in/marionandersonpx/ 

Elephant in the Org - https://theelephantintheorg.buzzsprout.com/ 

The Fearless PX - https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-fearless-px  

Follow Michelle on social media:  

Website - https://www.michelleminnikin.com/  

Linkedin - https://www.linkedin.com/in/mminnikin/  

Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/goodgirldeprogramming  

TikTok - https://www.tiktok.com/@michelleminnikin

Buy Good Girl Deprogramming

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Audible - https://www.audible.co.uk/pd/B0D9MKBDBW/?source_code=AUKFrDlWS02231890H6-BK-ACX0-406719&ref=acx_bty_BK_ACX0_406719_rh_uk 

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