The Big Balance: Recent Episodes
Brian & John
Maintaining a work-life balance keeps getting harder - but it doesn't have to. This podcast is for anyone struggling to rise above the daily challenges of work, family, and building a sense of self.
Management consultants by trade, hosts Brian and John shift their skills from helping organizations get better to helping people improve their lives.
In this episode, John talks ROI while defending the 76ers... and tries to talk a big game while defending his job as a podcast host against the growing threat of AI creative domination.
Quick-hitter format this time: Brian takes a simpler, pared down approach to two topics - How to "sharpen your axe" on one side, and how to avoid freaking out about performance evaluations on the other.
We're often compelled to overcomplicate even the simplest decisions in life. Why? All it does it make achieving our goals that much harder (and that much more stress-inducing). In this episode, Brian outlines some of the reasons our brains put us in this predicament... and how we can push back against this overcomplicated default.
Think your white collar job is safe from being "automated away?" Think again - artificial intelligence is putting knowledge work in the crosshairs. In this episode, Brian and John discuss the positives and negatives associated with automation in the white collar workplace.
Remote work has created the perfect environment for some employees to secretly nab multiple jobs (and paychecks) in a single set of hours. How feasible would this be for someone interested in doubling their income, and how do the ethics play out?
The stuff we own describes who we are - so what does your toilet say about you? Brian and John come back from their podcasting break to talk about what they've been up to and, more importantly, how bathrooms make great metaphors for life decisions.
Ever had a job you were so sick of that you just... left? No notice, no formality. Here one moment, gone the next. We've all thought about doing it, but how feasible would it actually be to ghost an employer?
This week John gives us the skinny on a seldom discussed online community: the video game speedrunning community. What do speedrunners and John have in common?
Editor's Note: John is sorry he mispronounced a word this episode.
This week John adopts his new persona of "Joe" and takes us along as he weighs the merits of a platform like Fiverr. Does Joe have a career in voice acting after all?
In an interview with Shape magazine, Ashley Graham rejected the idea of work-life balance. But did she really? In this episode, Brian quibbles about parlance and cracks open a dictionary (exciting stuff).
Crazy stuff has been happening in Brian's life... some bad stuff... some lucky. In this throwback episode, we return to an episode from August 2021 where we talked about what it means to be lucky - and how to create our own luck.
Does your company's culture hit a little too hard? Do some of your coworkers seem a bit too ready to "drink the Kool-Aid?" You're not alone - plenty of people out there are asked to give a little too much headspace to the organizational vision. In this episode, Brian talks about what happens when we let that happen.
In a rut? How do you dig yourself out? This week John talks tips and solutions to help get out that rut.
"Money can't buy happiness." So say the people with enough money that they avoid having to worry about it. In this episode, Brian and John contradict themselves and, predictably, go on a tirade about American politics.
What does it take to prevent yourself from getting burned out? What goes into feeling appreciated by your company? Brian and John read up on some recent articles by expert organizations who claim to have the answers.
It's "do as I say, not as I do" as CEOs demand workers return to the office... while staying at home, themselves.
In the great game of "getting ahead," sacrificing sleep is rarely the best strategy long-term. Yet many of us default to staying up a bit longer or waking up earlier to squeeze a few more hours out of a day. In this episode, Brian outlines why this is a bad idea, and gives a few tips on catching more Z's.
Office relationships can be tricky... especially when they're with our bosses, and especially when those bosses try to take advantage of them. In this episode, Brian offers advice on drawing a clear line between personal and professional relationships and talks about the importance of saying "no."
John and Brian have been eagerly awaiting their "new" lives: fatherhood again for Brian and married life for John. This week they explore the anticipation leading up to their big days. But, what about anticipation's ugly cousin procrastination?
What's the best way to tell others we care about them? In this episode, Brian talks "Love Languages," and how some of them could work in the office (and others could get you fired).
Learn more or take the Love Language quiz here: https://www.5lovelanguages.com/quizzes/love-language
Special music this week: Bloom by Purrple Cat | https://purrplecat.com Music promoted by https://www.free-stock-music.com Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/deed.en_US
Despite the fact that our lives are so dependent on it, this pod has taken aim at the effects of technology in the past. This week we decide to put on our positive pants and call out some of the benefits tech brings us
Companies already monitor worker chats and emails - but how the ---- would you feel if those messages also got the ---- censored out of them after you hit the send button? We're not just talking about expletives, either... Brian runs through Amazon's alleged plans to do exactly that.
Toxic people suck. They also happen to be everywhere - so we better learn how to handle them. In this episode, Brian outlines some strategies to do exactly that.
The phrase "people-pleasing" is oftentimes viewed through a negative lens, is this a fair assessment? Let's examine what it means to be a people-pleaser and how we can use it to our advantage.
This week's episode has Brian and John taking a look at a Buzzfeed article? And looking at TikTok videos? Something can't be right here? Ah, but it's about the "right" way to take your PTO. Join the guys as they take the leap into Gen Z territory.
Check out the article yourself and let us know what you think:
https://www.buzzfeed.com/kristatorres/right-way-to-take-pto-tiktok
President Biden has made several calls for employees to go back to the office. But who does this serve? What would we gain as well as lose by giving up our work-from-home arrangements? RageQuit returns with stories about people pissed to have to go back to the office.
Special music this week:
Trailer Sport Trap Action | Horses by Alex-Productions | https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCx0_M61F81Nfb-BRXE-SeVA Music promoted by https://www.free-stock-music.com Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported License https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/deed.en_US
Losing control can feel terrible. Obsessing about control can also feel terrible. Most of us walk the line between these two states of stress - In this episode, Brian and Andy talk about the best way to handle it.
Films like "The Internship" or "Wolf of Wall Street" are a fun watch - but how accurately do they portray life in corporate America? In this episode, Brian and John pretend to be film critics to gauge how true-to-life this genre really is.
Also, today is a special day for John as his band released their first single. Check it out here: https://open.spotify.com/track/1HjzYeb4atk9ZSU0Yuf1OJ?si=ce210002394d430d
It can seem like a selfish act to plan an entire trip around a singular hobby, especially when we already struggle to use our PTO, but trips like these can teach us a lot of valuable skills.
Let's go on tour with John and hear about his experience as an early 20-something in a van with six smelly guys. Would you drive 6 hours for a 30 minute reward? How about doing that 10 days in a row?
Is your company monitoring you while you work? They certainly have the capability. Brian and John weigh in on how they feel about several techniques used to monitor workers - and consider what it means for the future.
We all need a break from responsibilities every once in a while. But when we let those distractions interfere with important parts of our lives, they can become a problem. Not every video game is an "addictive time killer," but plenty can be - in this episode, Brian runs through 5 elements of a game that can turn it from a hobby into an addictive and detrimental challenge to our balance.
We've advocated for exploring passion projects since our first episode, so for today's episode John examines the late Paul Newman and his many different passions. While we may not have the luxury of fame and fortune, it doesn't mean we can't take a page out of the Newman's Own founder's book.
You've been given more responsibilities... Great! But is your boss putting more faith in you or taking advantage of you? We all wear many hats on the job - when our roles expand too far, we can get stretched to the brink. In this episode, Brian and Andy talk about what we can do to keep our roles from expanding beyond what we can handle.
Britney Spears thrust traditional conservatorship arrangements into the spotlight, but the nuances surrounding these arrangements are complex. For every Britney Spears there is likely thousands of Nick Clouses and Jamie Becks. Learn more about their stories as John and Brian discuss the intricacies and complexities of these arrangements.
Today's episode is inspired by an article from NPR:
https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2022/01/09/1065301762/britney-spears-left-her-guardianship-but-others-who-want-independence-remain-stu
A lot of people have trouble defining success (which, in turn, makes finding it that much more difficult). Brian and Andy attempt to nail down a few key guidelines for defining what it means to be successful in our own lives.
None of us can take on all of life's challenges alone. The good news? We have friends, family, and coworkers who can help. The bad news? We're all terrible at seeking out, and making us of, that help. In this episode, Brian walks through how we can do better at being part of a team to get things done.
This year draws to a close, and 2022 is right around the corner. Brian and John talk about where the show has gone and what they hope to accomplish in the new year.
John takes us down memory lane and details the first time he ever fielded an "after-hours" urgent call. That meant something quite different 6 years ago, and now as the pandemic has shifted work-life priorities, the guys take a look at some anecdotal and empirical evidence to prove how different work is in 2021 and beyond.
Happy Holidays from the Big Balance team to you and yours!
There's no escaping company culture. If that culture starts to shift, there may not be much we can do to react - unless we're willing to take some big steps. In this episode, Brian talks about some stark realities of facing culture changes... and some creepy things companies are doing to keep tabs on employee reactions to them.
Everyone deals with stress. Some better than others. But avoiding it will lead to anxiety problems sooner than later. If you're having trouble dealing with the high-pressures of life, join Brian and Andy as they talk about two ways you can better manage those feelings.
We've talked about music while you work, now we're talking about a trend in music while you study - where the media in question aims to get a bit more interactive. Brian also talks about a simple time management technique these study guides provide.
Sometimes it's the simplest answers to life's toughest questions that make the most sense. Paul Baribeau's album "Grand Ledge" features arguably one of the most optimistic 'self-help' songs I've ever heard: "Ten Things." The premise is simple: name ten things you want to do before you die and go do them; name ten places you want to see before you die and go to them. Even 14 years later this song still strikes a chord with me (albeit in a very fast and folk-punk rhythm). Let's examine how easy it is to follow Paul's advice and see if we really can fix those ten things about our life.
Rules and regulations are sometimes slow to keep pace with what's going on in the world. This time, though, Portugal is determined to keep up with today's work from home dynamic. In this episode, Brian walks through new protections for Portuguese workers and considers what the rest of us can do (even without these legal protections).
Special music this week:
Lock And Load by Hayden Folker | https://soundcloud.com/hayden-folker Music promoted by https://www.free-stock-music.com Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported License https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/deed.en_U
Thousands of workers are joining together to say "enough" to bad working conditions. Brian and Andy talk through what this means - both to employers and to people wondering if now is the right time to look for a new job.
Sometimes, people quit... sometimes they're fired - and sometimes they have quite a bit to say about why. In this episode, Brian runs through some company reviews by past employees that had less-than-stellar things to say about their old employers.
Special music this week:
Trailer Sport Trap Action | Horses by Alex-Productions | https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCx0_M61F81Nfb-BRXE-SeVA Music promoted by https://www.free-stock-music.com Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported License https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/deed.en_US
There's no magical formula or book that is going to guarantee success, so why do some people believe there is? Certain "Self-Help" books have made their way into popular culture and spawned an entire genre of prose. But, how effective are these self-help books? Let's take a look at one of most influential self-help books and examine its efficacy.
Ever wanted to start something big, but felt like you waited too long? Like you blew your chance doing it when you were younger and now... it's too late. Well, good news! In this episode, Brian gives a few examples that show you're never too old to start a side hustle, passion project, or anything else the kids these days are doing.
We usually jump at the chance for a promotion. More prestige and bigger paychecks can't be bad, right? But what if that promotion takes us out of a role we love, and puts us somewhere that we hate? Andy comes back as a guest host to talk about his experience with an ill-fitting promotion.
Brian Dyson, former President and CEO of Coca-Cola, gave a commencement speech in the early 90's that still resonates today. In this episode, Brian walks through his impressions on that speech's message, and why we should all take it to heart.
Work-life balance is dictated partially by the way your company operates. Company operations, in turn, draw from company vision statements. But what happens when company vision doesn't align with our day jobs? In this episode, Brian reviews a Harvard Business Review article on the topic.
Most of us are familiar with concept of an org chart or structure, but some organizations are beginning to abandon this vertical structure in favor of a more fluid and cross-functional concept. Which approach is better for a work-life balance? In this episode, John wonders how we can best combat any confusion around our org structures. Can we create clearly defined roles for ourselves and teammates, regardless of our spot on the totem pole?
We're all pressured do more, do better, do it faster. This can be helpful if it pushes us to break barriers we didn't know we could pass - yet, all too often, unrealistic expectations will set us up for failure. In this episode, Brian talks about the dangers of over-promising and the inevitable under-delivering that follows.
Brian and John have talked extensively about enjoying today's work-from-home environment. Yet not everyone is as enthusiastic about the current state of things. Andy, a Gen-Xer more on the fence about work-from-home, joins as the show's first guest host.
Picking up a new hobby or learning a new skill can be scary and oftentimes a daunting task and John and Brian take the hard stance that the concept of the “overnight success story” is a myth. Using his own experiences as a sample, John walks us through his growth as a musician, with samples of music he’s created throughout the years.
Feel free to explore some more of John's music featured in the show:
https://oliveview.bandcamp.com/album/crash-late
https://baltimorecults.bandcamp.com/
https://chattykathy.bandcamp.com/
https://braingreaseandtheganjapolice.bandcamp.com/
https://underwaterrobots.bandcamp.com/
A carpenter can take pride in seeing the home he built for a family. But what about the white collar worker struggling to see beyond their cubicle walls? Feeling satisfied is hard when you can’t see the impact your job has. In this episode, John talks about feeling a sense of satisfaction, either through finding meaning – or creating it.
Bonus episode! Really, more of a short rant. Bonus rant! What does algorithmic music mean to the workplace, and why do Brian and John hate the implications?
We all feel like the star in the film of our own lives. But this self-centered view reduces everyone else to merely supporting cast, and leads us to quick (and ill-informed) judgments of others. In this episode, Brian describes a more holistic view to help improve our interpersonal relationships.
Multitasking is a skill that everyone wants and every employer values. But what if our pursuit of multitasking is doing more harm than good? Brian breaks down the problems with trying to split attention between too many tasks, and offers an alternative approach to getting things done.
In a previous episode, we talked about how today's job seekers have more leverage than ever before. However, this may not be true for everyone. A recent report shows that Gen-X may be struggling more than Millennials. Brian and John reflect on the implications of this report in this short episode.
We talked through some work-life balance job seeking strategies in a previous episode. In this episode, John puts his money where his mouth is and puts those strategies to the test as he reenters the job market.
Good news for job seekers: We're in the middle of a "seller's market" for job hunting. Candidates have more leverage today than at any time in recent history. With this in mind, Brian talks about how we can interview a new org to ensure they're as good a fit for us as we are for them.
Are some people born lucky? While nobody can control the outcome of a coin flip, some people seem to come out on top in any situation. How they do it isn't a secret, and it isn't even difficult. In this episode, Brian explains how we can all make our own luck.
We're a stressed out, burned out bunch of crazies. This shouldn't come as surprise - nobody is taking vacations. Even worse, we view skipping out on time off as a point of pride... to our detriment. In this episode, Brian forces listeners to take just one of those earned days off and puts it to good use.
Success will always mean different things to different people. In this episode, John walks through a few examples as we try to define success and nail down how to attain it.
In a 2018 interview, Jeff Bezos referred to the concept of balance as a "debilitating phrase" when thinking about the intersection of work and life. In this episode, Brian and John vehemently disagree.
Ever feel like there aren't enough hours in the day? We're all a little too busy some days, but a little planning and prep work go a long way into giving us desperately needed time back. In this episode, Brian offers a few tips for better time management.
Why do exceptionally talented people do so well across multiple careers or projects, and where do they get the energy to always outperform? In this episode, John examines a few individuals that have been successful across multiple fields.
For every valuable meeting on our calendars, odds are good we have four more that just waste time - and the number keeps rising. In this episode, Brian gives some tips for fighting against this trend and focusing on the meetings that matter.
Music while we work has been shown to increase productivity and, minimally, improves our attitude on the job. In this episode, John talks through why we love (and maybe depend on) music in the office.
Americans glorify work, logging extensive hours each week (and maybe weekend). Many are now turning hobbies into extensions of our work. There are pros and cons to turning pass-times into revenue streams, but are we monetizing hobbies just because we’ve been sold on “the hustle?” Hosts Brian and John work through this question in the first episode of the podcast.