The Peluso Presents Podcast: Recent Episodes
Mike Peluso
Are you finding challenges with Work and Life? The Peluso Presents podcast is the official podcast for the Peluso Presents media outlets. including the www.pelusopresents.blog and books. Tune in every week for a conversation and analysis of the collision points between work and life and the ways we can avoid them.
This is it, after 10 years of blogging and podcasting, I'm ending my regular posts and shows. This episodes Post of the Week is all about why I'm saying goodbye, at least for now.
In my last big idea podcast, I discuss a solution to cure many of the evils of the corporate machine. It all boils down to corporate governance. I posit a simple thesis: If a company's decisions affect shareholders, employees, and communities, then shouldn't they all have a say in the decisions that company makes?
An article on retirement planning with a twist got me thinking about the challenges in my own retirement. What happens when your Go-Go isn't on the same timeline as everyone else? Does it become a No-Go?
A trip to take my daughter to a Bounce House reminded me that when the MBA's take over a business, it always results in worse service and higher costs all in the quest for more and more money. So why do we let them do this and how can we get away from it?
Some students really want to learn. Most don't. They just want to get through. But if learning is going to make your life better, then why isn't there the desire to do it? That's the question we explore in this episode of the Peluso Presents Podcast.
I had to teach a class with an instructor who did the least amount of work possible. Then I had to teach that same class with an instructor who did everything imaginable to make the course a truly enriching experience for the students. The two experiences made me think about work ethic in a whole new way.
Here it is, the Top 5 best Post's of the Week for 2024. This is a bittersweet Top 5 as it's the last one we are going to publish. Thankfully it's got a great series of articles for you to listen to. So you could say we are going out on Top with this Top 5!
Unwined was amazing. It was a great little wine shop in the middle of nowhere, but more importantly it was the template for a perfect retirement lifestyle.
Parenting is hard. Parenting is even harder when you have a kid who makes poor choices. Then what amounts to the entire legal system rests on the parents shoulders. Wouldn't it be great if there was a way to outsource this job so that someone else becomes the bad guy?
There is a double standard in the world, and it only affects women. They can't be who they are naturally in the professional environment because some parts of the population can't deal with it. This led me to the conclusion that there are draconian rules that women must follow at least if they hope to have a great career. And Yes, I think it sucks too!
The North Carolina Lottery went a step too far in my opinion when they introduced what is essentially slot machines in their app that you play with real money. I understand why they did it, but I thought it was a good lesson in how as organizations get better out of pulling the money out of us, we have to get better and not letting them suck us dry!
The world is going crazy for Royal Caribbeans new Icon class ships. I look at them and think 'Meh'. Why? It's not a bad ship, it's just not special. They did what was easy, not what was truly impactful and different. And that makes me wonder what am I doing that's easy when I should be doing something impactful and different?
Sometimes life happens, and it happens in such a hard way it feels like a punch to the gut. Then you have to deal with it. How do you deal with it? You make a hard decision about the things you have to do vs the thing you want to do. Our life based hard decisions are way differen than when you hear a CEO say it and that's the point of this show.
There are 80 year cycles in the world and it's hard for the average person to see them. If we did see them, and we knew where we were in that cycle, could our lives get better? That's the thesis for this show. It's a good time to explore this theory of world cycles because we are about to get into the bad part of it!
I thought I was going on the longest and greatest vacation of my life. Then I got there and I learned first hand that the biggest and best vacation for an average American is NOTHING compared to vacations for people from other parts of the world. We need to do down time better.
Entitlement can destroy lives. This show is the story of two people I was close with, and I got to witness how their sense of entitlement destroyed their lives and kept them from experiencing hapiness.
It's interesting on how your perspective can change when you try something new. For 20+ years of travel I avoided the overpriced drink package, then I had it. And then I realized the cruise lines were selling it all wrong.
Why do we ocasionally loose it? That's the question I asked myself after something set me off at work. I realized that their is a thing that triggers me. Now that I know what it is, I have to be very aware that I need to control it because if I don't, bad things happen.
Have you ever felt like you were the outsider at work? Have you ever been part of the inside group, the group that was highly effective and made things happen? Cliques aren't just in High School, they exist everywhere including the workplace. At work they can be a good thing, and a bad thing.
We lost our dog Tripp. He was a great dog. His passing got me thinking about our relationship to our Pets. This show is all about that relationship
If a major life event happens and you have the opportunity to relocate, then why move somewhere where there are people you don't like? Why not move somewhere amazing to restart your life? Why just do the same old thing, only this time in the same neighborhood with people you hate? Listen and decide for yourself if He made the right choice.
What happens when someone is at the end of their life, yet refuses to take reasonable steps to insure that after they pass they don't leave chaos behind?
If you've ever had the chance to hang out with smokers, you know that aside from the smoke, it's a pretty good place to be. Conversations happen, ideas are exchanged, and friendships are made. This episode is all about the pros of smoking and it explores why it's so hard to have those same benefits if we get rid of the cigarette.
Often there are big trends affecting our life. Stometimes we see them and make adjustments, but most times, we can't see them, or worse, ignore them. This episode is all about ignoring the reality and asks the question "Why do we do it?"
What happens when a woman-child tries to become friends with mature women her own age? Sparks fly, and the relationship doens't last. This week's episode is all about someone who never grew up and explores the reasons why.
Have you ever thought about the stories about yourself that you tell the people around you? These are the stories we believe. But are they true? We believe they are and act accordingly. But what if they aren't true to anyone else except ourselves? That's what this episode is all about.
Have you ever looked at the story of your life? Is it what you thought it would be? How would you want to change this story? In this episode I look at a friends life and rewrite their story for them. When you listen to both versions of this story you can decide which one is better.
Have you ever wasted time on purpose? Should you? This weeks episode discusses the importance of the time we have and why we should never waste it.
It's not boyfriend/girlfriend anymore. Everyone has a "partner". But no matter what you call it, the significant other in someone's life has three different and very important roles to fill. This show is all about those three roles.
Often we fall into thinking like a human being when things fall apart at work. Unfortunately this normal response isn't at all helpful. To get through our professional lives, we have to think like managers, good managers. On the positive side, if we learn to do this, there will be less isues to deal with.
My Aunt Josie laughed at me when I tried to tell her about my five year plan. She told me that nothing ever happens the way we plan. She was right, life always changes your plan. When that happens you have to figure out what to do...
Starting at a new job is always stressful. One of the reasons why it's so stressful is that organizatiosn don't do onboarding well as a rule. Sometimes this is incompetence, and somtimes, sadly, it's by design.
Here it is, our annual "Top 5" episode where we highlight five really amazing stories from the prior year. If you like these articles, check out the rest from 2023 and other years. - Also thanks so much to all those who supported us in 2023, we appreciate it!!
Often, some major negative event will become the only news story you see everywhere and every media oulet jumps on board. Trying to get away from this negativity can be next to impossible. How can you do it? That's covered in today's show.
Retirement used to mean flipping a switch to go from working to being completely financially independent, even if modestly, and not working at all. Today there is an intermediate step to this process, it's Semi-Retirement.
The Community System includes elected positions, non-profits, businesses and every other type of organization that helps a community thrive. Taking part today is very different than years past in that the risk is much greater. The question becomes, should you take part in this system? That's the topic explored in this show.
It's hard to get an unbiased sense of where we stand compared to others. This show goes into one technique my brother used as child and one technique I use today. In both cases, they helped us better understand the scope of the world and our place in it.
The Law of Convenience is almost akin to a law of physics or nature that you can almost never get around. Here is another example of how I ultimately walked away from something important to me, somethign I worked hard at, simply because of convenience was working against me.
Some people spend a large part of their lives working in a job that their personality simply isn't a good fit for. Yet, emotions like fear or career inertia keep them in that same type of job. The first step out of that rut is to see that you aren't a good fit for the job you are doing.
There are so many things in life we can do, and sadly, life is finite. So we can't get it all done, but we can certainly do a bunch. The key is to turn "someday" into "now"!
Something unique happened during the pandemic. Many women went from working and paying daycare, to being stay at home mom's and they realized, on the whole, their life got better. Now Corporate America wants them back on the job. Can they be wooed back?
I've teleworked since before there was the word 'telework'. Now it's both a blessing and a curse to employers and employees alike. Here on some of my thoughts on the topic.
In this final show on the big difference in what businesses want out of their employees and what they want out of their cusotmers we look at the role of Government. Can government help with this conflict, or is any government involvement an issue?
There is a big difference in what businesses want out of their employees and what they want out of their cusotmers. This is the second of three shows on this major conflict. Today's show looks at if a Flexible Lablor Market can be good for the employee?
There is a big difference in what businesses want out of their employees and what they want out of their cusotmers. Unfortuantely, usually their customers are employees of some business. This is the first of three shows on this major conflict between the desire on the part of business for Flexible Labor Markets, yet also a desire fo r inflexible billing when they charge their customers!
When writing, often I create vignettes. They aren't anything near my normal 3-5 page article, but they have a strong point to make. This show includes three mini-articles put together as one long article.
Making new friends is a critical skill to get through life healthy and happy. There are times when we need to make new friends more than others, but we should always be fostering new friendships wherever possible.
What happens when you are in the rare position of having a good stable job, yet a career advancement becomes a possiblity? Do you take the new job? Do you stay where you are at?
Have you ever thought "Where did the day go?" on a day where you didn't have anything planned? And then got mad at yourself for wasting the day? That's what this espisode is all about!
Their are a bunch of issues that only single people have when they are the parent of an only child. What are these problems and can this Single Single Syndrome be cured? Listen to find out!
Often businesses, especially those in the luxury space, thrive on quality. Then the suits and bean counters get involved, and little by little, slowly but surely, qualiety dies a corporate death!
There are people in the world who don't wish to change or understand more than their small world view. They can't adapt to a changing world and they make everyone around them suffer for it.
We all have our comfort zones in work and life. Most People have a tendency to want to stay in their comfort zone, yet, there is a real benefit to getting out of our comfort zone.
Standing up and saying the thing that everyone is thinking, but doesn't want to say, has some real negatives. It also has some real positives. This show talks about the value of being the one who's always pointing out the obvious flaws of what's being presented or promoted to a group.
There are some people in the world who are completely unreasable. They can make life very difficult. How can you deal with them? This show includes some great tactics to deal with the unreasonable and irrational!
We all have visions of who we wish to be in work and life. Sometimes we can get close, but can we really get there? A great deal of the things that we need to do to change are tremendously difficult.
What HR and Management look for when deciding whom to let go in a layoff is critical when identifying how you should act at work to keep your job, but as this episode shows, it's not a gaurentee you will survive the layoff.
Some people are in it for the money. Some are in it to "Make A Difference." For the latter, the question is, can you do it? Can any one person really make a difference in this world?
It's that time of year where we highlight the most interesting or engaging Posts of the year. We have 5 great posts for you today To save on bandwidth, this show is encoded at 128kbps.
Transparency should be everywhere, yet, there are still areas today where you don't get the information you need to know where you stand. Why is that? What can be done about that?
Some people feel like you don't need to be married to have a productive, safe, and fulfilling life. Many feel that way because they are married and just don't know it.
To get people back to work, they need to be happy with their work. Their are five things employers should always be doing to keep employees happy and they REALLY need to be doing it with those that left and never returned because of the Pandemic.
Another show inspired by Discovery Plus, this time it's about their business practices. Hear how the Big company stomps on little production houses.
Have you ever watched TV and thought: I could do that, and, you know what, I want to do that! That's how I felt about the (X) Life shows on Discovery Plus, well until I looked a little deeper!
Our organizations have complex systems, and when something isn't quite right in those systems can break down. THEN it's a never ending repair cycle. Could an MOU help? Maybe, for a short time.
It was the experience of Shock and Awe when I was first exposed to all the details surrounding receiving Medicare at retirement.
Pets, or getting pets, is a big part of new relationships. It's such a big point, we have to ask ourselves, is it unavoidable?
The question isn't do need to continue to learn for the rest of your life. We all do. The real question is: What is your plan?
Welcome to Episode 200!! This episode includes some surprises as well as a great post of the week, which is all about starting something with a group of people, and then looking around, realizing your the only one left doing the job. Although it's about our jobs in the professional world, ironically, it's also a very fitting subject for anyone who makes podcsts too. ;)
In life we work to get paid, to have a roof over our heads and to put food on the table. Sometimes, even later in life, it's a good idea to work for free, because we want to, because of what we will learn. Because it's a passon of ours!
It's no question that many companies are just bad places to be for the rank and file. There are also some amazingly great places to work out there. What makes them great? Here are some ideas!
Often people get fixated on having, or not having a degree, i.e. the piece of paper. Is a degree really that important to have? What else is involved in getting a job beyond the piece of paper?
When you look for a job, the emotions involved can be intense with very high high's and very low low's. Why are they so intense? What can you do about them? That's the point of today's show.
Also,
Happy 4th of July!!
In the early part of our lives, we go on vacation to refresh and renew. As we move on, vacations get commandeered by needs of others. We can forget what a vacation is and what it means to us. Is it time to think about what a vaction means to you?
Most people have minimum standards. They won't accept anything less. For the physical things in our lives, those minimums have been steadily increasing over time. Is it justifiable, or are we being manipulated?
We are moving from a world of wires, to a wireless world. Like any big shift, we are leaving some things behind in the transition. That's why I wanted to write this love letter to wires!
There are some things in life you can learn by reading about them, attending, a class, or hearing about it. For other things, to understand them, truly understand them, you have to experience it first hand!
Government has issues for sure. There is one area where government usually out performs the private sector by a wide margin: Employee Benefits. This show asks: Is it possible to get Gov't style benefits into private sector Jobs?
Politics is a thing that drives intense emotional reactions out of people. It used to be a passion of mine until I started to look at our political realities a little differently. This show is about why my perspective has completely changed.
Why do sub par options often win in the marketplace, at work, in life? The answer, more often than not, is that they are convenient. Convenience always seems to win and this show explains why that is the case!
What's the benefit for doing extra projects at work that your not asked to do? Is it just something you see workaholics do or is there some real benefit to it?
There is, and will always be a bias in society for those who are attractive to others. This bias definitely exists in the workplace. For those that are naturally attractive, they benefit. For those who aren't, well, there are some things you can do, and that's what this show is all about!
It's time for our annual Top 5 show. We have some great Post's of the Week from 2021 in this show and there is even a bonus post. Listen and hear some of the worlds best commentary on the collision points between work and life!
Big birthdays can be big problems or big opportunities. On the problem side, we stress about getting older. On the opportunity side, we can look back and appreciate how far we have come and everything we have learned. I'm taking my 50th birthday as an opportunity and I'm sharing what I've learned after a half century. There is some good stuff here, so listen and enjoy!
This episode will be released on a major milestone birthday of mine. It's fitting that the episode is all about legacy, what others have left behind before me and what I'm leaving behind for those that come after me.
Have you ever watched someone make questionable spending decisions? That's usually ok if they are the only people who are affected, but what if someone else's life is impacted by poor spending decisions? This is the story of a potential big financial hangover for a family that spent like a sailor on leave.
When COVID hit, many business journalists chronicled the outsized impact it had on the Cruise Industry. What many of them missed was the opportunity cost, not for cruising profits, but for a whole new industry who’s start was now delayed for years if not decades.
eBay, Blockbuster, Dish Network, and even today's Trucking companies are all carrying on the tradition of putting profits before customers, and not surprisingly, customers are leaving. It doesn't have to be like this.
In a world of US vs. THEM mentality, is their a way to get around it? Can we really find a WIN-WIN on the biggest of issues? I think their is. It won't come cheap, but it can be done if someone is determined enough, and creative enough, to try and pull it off.
Some think of it as déjà vu, some just say "Been there, done that". Today's show explores the options for when you get that sense that what you are doing is not interesting because you've seen it all before.
Inspired by a surprising moment, today's show is all about the value offered by that advanced degree, both from a traditional institution and by a for-profit diploma mill. It asks the question: Is that 100K Masters and PhD really worth it even if it comes from a place that hands them out as long as you can pay the bill?
Inspired by a song I started to think about the good old days. Specifically, I wondered what makes 'the good old days' good? Why do we pine for them and what could you do to make them happen again?
Sometimes there is risk in where we want to go invest our time and money. The risk is in what we will get as a return on that time and money investment. Sometimes, we call it risk, but it's not really, it's a near guarantee of a return. Even so, you'll still have to pay the price in the form of the investment. The big question is: Are you willing to pay the price?
Sometimes you'll put in months and years, and work your way up. Then something happens, a private equity buyout, a market change, or just a new manager. Then the unexpected separation from the company means you have to go somewhere and start from the ground floor.
We are emotional beings and emotional beings make emotional decisions. More often than not these emotional decisions can lead to a bad end. Logic works, but too few people use it. Listen and hear how emotions rule the world.
In part one we looked at the career related aspects of having a short term outlook vs a long term outlook in planning and decision making. This show is part two where we look at the more Life related aspects of short term verses long term commitments.
In life we can have a short term outlook, or work towards the short term goal. Sometimes in life we are looking at the Horizon, we are thinking not about tomorrow, but where we want to be years down the road. We can have both these short and long term outlooks in many areas of work and life! This show is part 1 of 2 where we look at the more work related aspects of short term verses long term commitments.
In this episode we learn how a YouTube influencer illustrates what is in involved in understanding all the things that they don't tell you at work. How did they do it? By being Savvy of course. For some, they are Savvy by nature, for others it takes time and experience. Listen and learn how we can change our perspective to increase our ability to be Savvy in dealing with work and life!
For the type A personality (like me), a vacation isn't a way to rest, relax and unwind. It's a great way to get away from the normal demands of life so you can get some work done you've been putting off. Unfortunately, friends, family, and anyone else you vacation with usually has other ideas. Their plans and needs tend to get in the way of your vacation productivity goals. If your type A, listen and learn all about the roadblocks to your plans to get a bit ahead. If your not type A then listen and learn what frustrates those of us who are.
Clickbait title aside, the commentary in this episode is, I think, very valuable to really assess the impact of the millions of man woman hours that have been put in to empower generations of females. Listen to four stories of four supposedly empowered women, who, when all was said and done, still looked to be rescued by their very own prince charming. Is this normal? Is all hope lost for the majority of women to become strong and independent? Did I just happen across four outliers? Listen an decide for yourself!
I've been fortunate to work with many different people who are in different points in their career. The most interesting are those that are working after they have technically retired and don't have to work anymore. What's more interesting than their reasons for working is their attitudes while at work, which are all over the map. Listen as we explore the effect of retirement attitudes on post working professionals.
We have lots of life experiences that affect our personality development overtime. Most reach a equilibrium, i.e. they become the person they are destined to be sooner or later with their interpersonal development. We tend to get there faster by experiencing life impacting events. Some are unplanned, and some, like college, are bought and paid for. The question this show asks, is the price we pay for the personality development parts of college, i.e. the quintessential "College Experience" worth it?
In the early days of the Pandemic, everything was surreal and it seemed to me the PTB (Powers that Be) were overstating and overreacting. This show is a look back in time on an article I wrote at the onset of COVID19 where I commented on the behavior of companies in reaction to the virus. Although many may argue my downplaying of the death toll was where I misread the tea leaves, taken as a whole, It's surprising how well it stands up a year later, or maybe not so surprising as employers are always wanting to get rid of Risk wherever possible.
Decisions that impact your work and life can be made by supervisors, by committee's and increasingly by software robots. How do you handle these decision makers? What should your tactic be? This show is all about the types of decision makers and what we need to consider when dealing with them!
Often leadership seminars spend a great deal of time discussing understanding the different personality types in the office. Never do they discuss how those personality types align to leadership, nor do they discuss their long term impact on the culture of the work environment. The Darwinian environment of Corporate America leads to a Caustic Competition which can have a real impact on the lives of everyone at the company. This article offers a deep dive on what the personality types are that define corporate culture, and how they can make your job challenging, to say the least!
Microsoft, Apple, Google, and Facebook aren't really computer or software companies, they are platform companies. It's their platforms that are the core of their power and valuations. Platforms don't have to be the tool of trillion dollar tech companies, we all can, and should have a platform. Listen to this show to learn what a personal platform is, and how you could benefit from having one!
We see the logos everywhere. They are on T-shirts, on buildings, at the State Fair, and even on the shirts of people who are selling us hotdogs at the local ball park. You'll see the the Lions, Kiwanis, Local Fraternities / Sororities, and others. For the professional, the question is: Are these social groups beneficial to your career and your life? Why should you join them when you can just hang out with your friends? This show is all about these groups and everything related to them.
The Purple Squirrel, or more precisely the Purple Squirrel Candidate is the idea that the perfect person for a job is impossible to find. Technically anyone can be a Purple Squirrel for a job that matches there highly specific experience and education. There is a pro and a con to be in that position and that's what this show is all about.
There are long term trends all around us. Often they aren't easy to see. If we train ourselves to be aware of them, they can not only give us insight, but also give us valuable information about the bigger decisions we need to make in life. Today's show is all about these trends, and what they mean for both our personal and professional lives!
Private equity, as an industry is a machine that is the business equivalent of injecting nitrous oxide into a car engine. You get a great deal of performance for a short period of time, but it stresses and breaks the things that make up the formerly reliable engine. In the case of Private equity, it's enhanced profits, usually at the expense of people who made up the company.
Three times in the month that I wrote this article I heard stories from three different private equity buyouts. Counting my own experience, all four were intensely scary, stressful, and ultimately very damaging to the average employee at the respective firms. This vent piece asks the question: When can we get Private Equity from a Win-Loose to a Win-Win for everyone involved?
Not everything in 2020 was worth forgetting. One thing that is definitely worth remembering again is the Peluso Presents Top 5 of 2020. Haven't listened in a while? Got a long drive coming up? This show highlights the the best Peluso Presents commentary from 2020 on the collision points between work and life. It's a great way to get introduced to the show if your new to it or just go back and revisit some interesting and thought provoking ideas!
Burn & Churn jobs exist in every sector. They are the jobs where you are hired with false promises and that burn people out quickly. Most individual contributors have experienced the "joys" of them at some point in their careers. The Biggest impact can happen when the B&C jobs happen at senior levels, as then it can affect hundreds or thousands. This show is all about how and why it happens, and what you should do about it!
Grandma used to say it all the time when I was growing up, and I can still hear it in my head today: "Michael, get your education, so you can go get a good job, a real job!" That job that grandma wanted me to get, it doesn't exist anymore. The landscape of employment has mutated so much that I don't think grandma would recognize it if she was alive today. So, one day when I found myself parroting grandma, I realized that I never really defined what a "Real Job" is in the modern era. This show is all about that, what exactly is needed to make any job into as grandma said "A good job, a REAL job"? Listen and find out...
Everyone goes on a rant occasionally, and today is my day. First, in the intro, it's about online retailers and high demand products in the age of Covid. Then in our article it's about a classic parenting moment of extreme frustration. The latter turned into a brief but powerful reflection on short term vs. long term decision making.
Most of us have been there at some point in our careers. Our jobs ask us to do something we find incredibly distasteful. What should you do? Hold your nose and do the thing? Resist on principal? Quit? Today's show explores our options for when we inevitably find ourselves experiencing character conflict at work.
Big Problems, Big Solutions looks at some of the biggest problems of our day and attempts to come up with an out of the box solution.
This BPBS commentary is all about the widening wealth gap, and what role equity plays in that gap. More importantly it shows how we can flip the equity tool to start to close the gap and change people's working lives for the better!
A regular mantra of employers today is the complaints about the next generation of the workforce. This is a fairly standard conversation by hiring managers when every new generation enters the workforce. Yet, this time there is something different going on. A higher percentage of this new generation of workers just don't buy in to the idea of a workplace commitment at all. Today's article is all about how a generation of employers who have become experts at shifting business risk to their employees and avoiding all forms of long term employer / employee commitment created a generation of workers who are are a reflection of this reality. A reflection that's not what employers are happy to see and they have no one to blame but themselves!
Amassing, Collecting, or Hoarding, as it's known today is a something that seems to happen to many people. We have a little stuff, and then in the blink of an eye we have tons of stuff... and we ask ourselves, "Where did this all come from?" The more important question is "What should you do with it all?" and that question is explored in this weeks show!
Have you ever gotten frustrated because something doesn't work the way you want it? Maybe your eyes aren't 20/20, your sugar levels are never actually level, or like me, you can't control your weight no matter how much diet and exercise you throw at it? Today's show is all about those issues, and the decisions we have to make. Fair warning, there is a bit of TMI relating to my personal health issues, as I used them as examples throughout the show. If you are ok with that, and you have often struggled with your own physical limitations, then this show will be just what the doctor ordered!
I was pulled into an unexpected meeting and as an aside in the meeting I was told I have a WIIFM personality. I had no idea what that meant. Then I realized, everyone has one of these personalities, but for some reason, it's not looked at positively, even though it's, in my opinion, a reality of human existence. Listen and decide for yourself.
I'm good at many things, so are you. Yet, no one is exceptional at all things. This results in life situations where we are kinda good at something, but the situation calls for someone who is exceptional at it. We can figure it out if it's in our personal life, but it gets challenging when it happens at work. This show is all about when we can't be kinda good, when they really want exceptional.
Screw ups happen. Because of the nature of our professional world, and really because of human nature, there is often a scapegoat, an individual to blame when fertilizer hits the air circulation system. If you are the recipient of that blame, the consequences can be huge for both your professional and personal lives. It follows that it is best to always use a modicum of caution in your professional life. There are many best practices in this regard, and this show includes some of them. Listen and learn how you can keep your derriere from being overly exposed as you go about your work and life.
Also, Turns out I did get the bonus show out the door as episode 145, so this is episode 146.
When it's time to move on to new and uncharted career territory, many folks will say goodbye to their old colleagues through email or a phone call. The lesser used option is to do it through a special edition of your regular podcast. I chose this option. Listen, and hear a fun little farewell with some great career info, and maybe a bit of a surprise at the end.
In life it's easier, but not always wise, to be our 'real selves'. In the professional world, it's different. Emotions and issues that are part of life tend not to work well in the work world. When and where can we be real? When do we have to be fake? Listen for some Real conversation about being Fake!
The greatest limiter on all our grand aspirations is time. There is time to do some of the big things we want in life like a career and family, but little left for other major efforts. This limitation is the rule of 2.5. Why does the rule exist? Is there a way around it? Listen and find out!
Everyone makes assumptions, it's necessary to function in life. Some assumptions, say if you assume the milk you grab at the supermarket is ok without looking at the date has a limited impact on your life. But some, like making assumptions about your career, can have HUGE long term impact. This show is all about those big impact assumptions.
I knew rose. I interacted with her through the years. Then one day, in a moment, without knowing she did it, she demonstrated to me the realities of the retirement challenges in the modern era.
As we mature over time, we stop seeing things in black and white. Shades of grey start to become the pallet of choice as we explore the issues of the day. There is some real value in our developing perspectives which can help us thrive in work and life.
Had a friend drop by and we decided to talk about what she does, and what she does is get people jobs with the Department of Public Safety. It's an interesting interview that really speaks to how surprisingly broad some government departments are!
There are a million different pundits talking about goal setting. But how many talk about managing your goals? When to keep them, when to change them and when to ditch them? That's what this week's show is all about!
What happens when we let young and inexperienced kids choose a career and add it to a system that facilitates friction free student loans? We get a society with crazy levels of student loan debt for careers that don't match what people are actually doing. Here is one crazy idea that would put an end to all those problems!
It's human to want to communicate, but sometimes we communicate too much. Sometimes we communicate too little. Knowing how much to share can be a learned skill or an art. It's something we all have to figure out in work and in life.
With the COVID-19 virus spreading, many people have down time on their hands. Unfortunately that time can be sucked up by time wasters. This is something we should guard against at work and at home, virus or not.
Life is problems, most of the solutions are tried and true. Need money? Learn a skill and go to work. Need healthcare? Go to a doctor. But sometimes people get hooked into believing in miracle solutions promoted with cultish zeal. Then, they want to hook you too.
Telecom companies and other employers have something in common. Neither wants to make the long term investment even though the longer ROI will have exponential benefits over the short term. Listen and learn how a lesson from one can teach us about the challenges of the other.
There has been a veritable explosion in streaming services. There is so much activity, that between when I wrote this post of the week, about a year ago, and when it posted, the landscape has massively changed. The core conversation about cutting the cord, and cutting the streaming services too hasn't changed. Is streaming really worth it? Listen and decide!
In life, the productive people tend to be goal driven in some way shape or form. Oftentimes we may not be able to meet our goals, or we just may fail at them. Listen to this show and learn how you can still achieve your goals using the secret of the three R's.
When one thinks about alternative lifestyle ideas, most people don't think about flexibility and limiting liability. The world of the professional does think about these topics, and there are ways to make it happen to the extreme! Here are six of them.
It's time again for our annual "Best of" where we highlight our 5 best posts of the week! We even have a bonus post of the week in this XL sized show filled with collision points commentary goodness!
This week's Post of the Week is all about a sarcastic response I got when I asked a friend how they were doing. It made me think about what that person was really thinking and feeling and what we think and feel when our work is not aligned to who we are or what we want.
This week also includes my review of the new Pixel 4XL cell phone. Don't let other reviews scare you. This is one amazing phone, listen to find out what makes it so great and the one little thing that isn't great.
Every year many professionals get the invite to their organization's annual holiday gathering. These events are considered a pain by some and a highly anticipated party to others. The reality is that is both of those things and more. This weeks episode let's us explore holiday parties from all angles. Listen and be prepared for your own Holiday Party!
Sometimes we find that we are the low end of the salary distribution for our job. The normal reaction is to be insulted and try and change the situation to be on par with our colleagues, but maybe, just maybe it's a good idea to be paid a bit lower than the next guy or gal. Also, this episode includes a review of the best TV available today!
Oftentimes in our career, we are asked to lead, or be a big part of, something we know is going to be an unmitigated disaster or a complete failure. Sooner or later it's unavoidable. There can be real negative consequences for the professional in these situations. So how can you best handle them? Listen to this show for both public and private sector examples of disasters and a few great tips on how to navigate these intense situations!
NOTE: This show was intentionally published a few days later than normal to give a bit more time for Episode 125, our big live special, to be at the top of the feed. Thanks for your understanding!
Listen in to this bonus show to hear some of the most impactful minds in workforce development talking about Leadership, Life and have a few laughs along the way! LIVE from the 2019 NCWorks Partnership Conference!
We all know everyone has flaws in their life. The challenges of some people tend toward the extreme. The big question then becomes, should you accept them as a regular component of your life? This week we explore the pro's and con's of it. We also share when you really do need to eject someone from your life.
IMPORTANT: Stay tuned for a very special live edition episode 124!
What's on your Bucket List? Do you think you will be able to achieve those goals? Is it fantasy or is there some reality in what you dream of? All these thoughts and more are explored in this week's Post of the Week. Also, don't forget that next show (ep 123) we are scheduled to have our first major live event!
Batteries are everywhere, they are in every facet of our our work and home lives. Technology advancement in power storage has progressed but nowhere near rate of the things that batteries are powering. This means we have more and more stuff that that rely on to do more and more things in our life and it's all powered by battery tech that is nearly as limited today as it was a hundred years ago. This show is about batteries, just make sure your phone or mp3 has a full charge so you can to listen to the whole thing.
This week's show asks a couple of simple questions. The first question, "Is your organization more about perceptions or outcomes?", is about the employer. The second question, "Do you fit in there?" is about you. Turns out the answers to these questions aren't easy in a world filled with highly complex organizations. Listen on to explore this topic!
Quiet time is an important part of most people's day. It's a moment to reflect, and charge up for the onslaught of the collision points we have to deal with throughout our lives. This show is all about the quiet time we all need every day.
Also, we have some news about the show, specifically some new equipment and events.
What started as a Post of the Week commentary on the value of digital Networking, think LinkedIn or Facebook, became a strong guide on how to properly structure a networking event in the professional world. It's a little long, and a little detailed, but the information in this PotW is really strong for anyone who wants to make more connections in their Professional lives!
Also, check out the Media Musings Segment after the Post of the Week for a last minute review of Jon Anderson's 1000 hands tour.
If you have ever sat down with a financial planner or read an article about how much is needed in liquid savings, i.e. cash on hand? You've probably were told to keep 3-6 months in savings. If your one of those people, which is to say most people, who doesn't save, I would agree. If you are a saver, then is that advice correct? The answer is actually "No", but you have to listen to this post of the week to find out why! Warning: The post has gasp numbers in it!
Disappointment happens at work, at home, and in every aspect of our life. It happens when we reach and don't succeed and it happens when we do nothing but the world around us changes. No matter if you are at life or work, understanding the impact of disappointment and figuring out how to deal with it is important to navigating the worlds of work and life!
In the past, the robots took over 'good' factory jobs and it took decades before the workforce recovered, and some would argue it never recovered. The same thing is happening to professionals, as Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning, and the Cloud are all coming together to displace the types of jobs that used to require a college degree. Sectors like Engineering, Financial, Medical, and even Information Technology itself are all being affected. What can you do to Survive? Listen to this show and learn what your options are!
In this episode, we have a quick update on the book and a great post of the week that serves as a reminder that no matter who you are, what job you are in, and how stable your organization is, there is always the possibility that you may be let go. It's also something that's true in both great economic times and bad ones.
Have you ever created a vision board to help you really stay focused on the things you want to achieve? I have, but in this episode, I really take a look at the benefits of 'having a vision' verses not. Also, there is some great News and Updates on my first tentative steps into the world of editing and publishing.
In this episode, we have our LONGEST EVER Conversational Chaos with the return of Brandy Ober and first-time guest Alexis Peluso. This one gets really chaotic as it's all about stupid boys! We also have a great post of the week about how Normal People struggle in the professional world because they are... well... Normal. Don't forget to listen after the end credits for some funny outtakes.
In this episode, we bring back the News and Updates segment because we have updates about finally reaching a huge milestone for Peluso Presents! We also have a great conversation chaos segment with Brandy Ober. Don't forget to check out the bloopers after the end credits too...
There are parallels for making connections, long term connections, in our personal and our professional lives. Today's show talks about putting down these roots and how our careers can benefit from them. There is also an initial review of Assasins Creed Odyssey in the Media Musings segment.
A trip to the zoo last year influenced this episode about how Zoo's and other public-serving non-profit institutions are becoming more predatory with their income generating techniques. The show returns with a Conversational Chaos segment (that's not too chaotic) with my wife Michele about the topic too!
Lists are a great tool for accomplishing things. This episode explores lists and all the ways they can empower us.
We are living in a world where AI and Automation are careening into each other and in the process, the impact is changing the very structure of humanity. It's all happening right before our eyes and employers are taking notice and as always leveraging change to drive productivity. This show attempts to answer the question: What happens when AI managed self-driving cars collides with the world of work?
Going back old school with an episode that focuses 100% on the post of the week. In this case, we have a tremendously dense exploration of the Herzberg motivators and hygiene factors theory as it relates to today's professional. What do you need to be satisfied at work and in life? What causes stress and discomfort when it's something needed at work isn't there?
We have a short show for you this week, with a quick intro, a Post of the Week that's really a rant on the culture change around cell phone acquisitions, and a rambling part 7 review of Red Dead Redemption 2.
This week we discuss family trips, crap bags, and annoying girls on the bus in our Conversational Chaos with Aldo. We also take have a fantastic post of the weak that explores all the Do's and Don'ts of starting a new job. Plus another look in our seemingly never-ending review of Red Dead Redemption II
This show includes a great dialog about one of the biggest conflicts between work and life, and it's that there is too much time needed for both work and life for modern families where both parents work outside the home. The crazy idea for a 3rd parent isn't actually all that crazy and has in fact been a model used for generations. It's just much harder to implement today. We also have a Media Musings segment / update on Red Dead Redemption 2.
In this Post of the Week Extravaganza, we replay no less than 8 posts of the week from 2018. There are six of the top five (one was a tie), and then two bonus PotW. This is a great introduction to all the writing at www.pelusopresents.com and a good intro to the sites commentary on the collision points between work and life.
Gift giving at work can become a conundrum, listen to the best strategy on how to handle this social expectation when it gets played out in our professional world. Also, a chaotic conversation about gifts with Aldo and his buddy Connor, and part 4 of our ongoing Red Dead Redemption Review!
Posting this week's episode a bit early, because it seems if we are going to post an episode about Black Friday, it would be fun to do it on Black Friday! In addition to a great Post of the Week about the history of Black Friday and best practices in leveraging the annual Celebration of Consumerism, this week's episode includes a Conversational Chaos with Aldo and his friend Riley about evil corporations and Christmas Lists! The show continues on with part 2 of our ongoing multi-part Red Dead Redemption 2 review.
This week we have a great discussion on the concept of what 'Being Rich' is to those that think in such terms. The Post of the week discusses concepts such as "Rich", "Wealthy", and "Comfortable" and tries to identify what each really means, and what could a professional reasonably hope to achieve as they move on in their careers and in life.
We also have the first of a multi-part review of the video game event known as Red Dead Redemption II.
How do you prepare for, and deal with the end of life? How do those around you? As professionals, it is something that has to be considered and managed like everything else, or chaos will ensue! But what happens when that chaos is out of your hands?
Also this week we have a rather long and spoiler-filled review of Uncharted 4: A thief's end.
NOTE: We are reposting Episode 96 as the episode erroneously posted early, and many people couldn't download it or see it.
We went from an age where housing was tied to a career... (A 30-year mortgage system was designed to complement a workforce that mostly had 30-year jobs) to an age when housing doesn't match the way we work and earn money. What's the answer? Today's episode offers one out of the box solution. It also has our most ever on point Conversational Chaos segment with a mortgage professional and a home builder.
Today we have a short and solo show about Ambient Computing. Ambient Computing is everywhere, quite literally, but you can't have the conversation about if this is a good thing or a bad thing if you can't connect to make your ambient computing devices usable.
Warning the word "Alexia" is used often in this episode.
Correction: in this episode, I mistakenly reference next weeks episode as being "Big Problems Big Solutions Broadband" due to a reference from PotW. That article was actually back in episode 87.
Ever wonder what exactly got someone up to the top spot in an organization? I have too, and I honestly don't think everyone knows completely. We know the big picture items, and the things people say got them there, but what else was in the decision-making process that no one ever discusses? Also, a conversational chaos segment with Aldo that is, as you would expect, all over the place!
Sometimes management will listen to the obvious needs of the organization or the situation and address them. Sometimes they only hear what they want to, just like everybody's favorite co-host. We discuss why. Also, we discuss labor and labor day and the joy's of running a service department with Mike Emmons, a retired maintenance manager of a large resort property.
This week it's Mike and the Girls. Crystal Taylor and Michele Peluso join me in Conversational Chaos discuss the value and risk of investing in your own education.
We also have some news and an extended Blooper real at the back of the show where Antoinette decided to invade our recording session.
This weeks extended conversational Chaos was so chaotic we had to re-organize and re-record parts of the show. Special Guests include Ms. Jennifer Kidd and regular co-host Aldo Peluso who together with Mike, discuss when is the right time to 'overshare' by using words such as Muxing, Nuance, and Takeaways. Don't forget the bloopers after the end credits! - don't forget to write reviews and share!
Today we have Michele as co-host as Aldo is at an important offsite meeting (Does a sleepover for a 9 year old count as an offsite meeting?). Michele and I have an extended Conversational Chaos where we discuss over priced fresh water fish, over priced plastic toys, and surviving an attack by Little Big Ears and the Hopping Gang. The show also includes one of the best Post of the Weeks we've ever done about Jargon.
Aldo Peluso is back as a co-host this week and for another chaotic conversation, this time about schools, deep sea diving, and student loan debt. We also have a reading of a short but very interesting post of the week which questions the need for schools in our age of technology disruption everywhere!
In our longest episode ever, I have my wife, Michele Peluso as my co-host. We discuss everything from kids and summer vacations to formality in the workplace.
Don't forget to listen to past the end credits for the outtakes.
Also, as always, don't forget to share.
For the first time ever we have a co-host for this week's episode. The problem with it is the co-host is my eight (nearly nine) year old son Aldo Peluso. His opinions on broadband make the first half of the show very different than our normal thought provoking fare. You decide if it's better or unlistenable.
The second half of the episode includes a reading of one of the best Big Problems, Big Solutions articles we have ever done. This show we tackle broadband! Don't forget, we include the outtakes after the end credits if you enjoy that sort of thing!
Have you ever wondered why someone would walk away from a job that seems to be amazing? The kind of job most people dream of having? In many cases the person walking away is doing it because they are bored in their career. This article explores that boredom and what you can do about it if you find yourself in that situation.
Bonus: This episode is being released on Memorial Day, so we have some interesting and fun Memorial Day facts on the origin of the day.
For some people there are actual places in the world that can facilitate the creation of happiness. In this episode explore what they are and what it takes to have one. Do you have a Happyplace?
Also WE DID IT!! This episode marks the first ever use of the mult-person podcast studio! We discuss what makes you happy with Aldo Alexander Peluso and Antoinette Michele Peluso. I figured the topic was kid friendly and as my kids they were here and have to do what I say. That makes them the perfect guests, or so I thought...
You'll see how good they actually were as guests if you check out the bloopers at the end of the show after the end credits!