Work Unscripted
By: Marlo Lyons
Language: en-us
Categories: Business, Careers, Management
Work Unscripted with Marlo Lyons offers a candid exploration into the realities of career advancement and leadership. Hosted by Marlo Lyons, executive career coach and former HR exec, this podcast brings unfiltered insights on work, leadership, and finding your path. Episodes feature in-depth discussions with industry leaders who share real stories and practical tools, and honest insights from Marlo. Work Unscripted is your guide to thriving in the professional world.
Episodes
Performance Reviews Gone Wrong: What To Do When Feedback Is Cryptic or Unclear
Jan 07, 2026Ever received feedback with no examples, no clarity, and no idea what to do next?
Welcome to Part II of Marlo Lyons’ performance review series, where we break down one of the most frustrating workplace experiences: vague, cryptic, or confusing feedback.
In this solo episode, Marlo shares a deeply personal story of receiving unclear feedback that left her spiraling, second-guessing herself, and trying to decode meaning that no one could (or would) explain.
You’ll learn:
What to do when feedback is vague, subj... Duration: 00:13:40Stop the Rat Race: Burnout Recovery, Mindset Shifts, and Small Daily Changes That Transform Everything with Carolina Bakker
Dec 31, 2025Are you exhausted from running full-speed on the corporate treadmill? Feeling burned out, overwhelmed, or stuck in the never-ending rat race? You’re not alone, and 2026 can be the year everything changes.
In this powerful episode of Work Unscripted, Marlo Lyons sits down with coach and burnout expert Carolina Bakker to explore how high-achieving professionals can finally break free from chronic stress, people-pleasing, and overwork to create a life filled with clarity, boundaries, fulfillment, and joy.
Carolina shares her personal story of corporate burnout and the mo...
Duration: 00:41:36Before You Set Your 2026 Goals… Ask This One Life-Changing Question
Dec 17, 2025What if 2026 brought you everything you’ve been chasing— the job, the title, the money, the house, the partner — and you still didn’t feel fulfilled?
In this solo episode, executive coach and author Marlo Lyons breaks down one of the most powerful (and overlooked) tools for personal development, career clarity, and long-term fulfillment: living in alignment with your core values.
You’ll learn:
Why achieving your goals won’t guarantee happinessHow misaligned values lead to burnout, stress, resentment, and frustrationThe difference between happiness and fulfillmentHow to define your core values and what they really meanT... Duration: 00:07:25How to Turn Self-Doubt into Self-Compassion with Elaine Belson
Dec 03, 2025If you’re a high-achieving woman who struggles with overthinking, people-pleasing, emotional triggers, or that relentless inner critic…this episode is for you. This week on Work Unscripted, Marlo sits down with therapist and former Army officer Elaine Belson to talk about the psychology behind the inner critic, or as Elaine calls it, the inner bully.
Together, they unpack the six habits that fuel self-doubt in high-functioning women: ruminating, mind reading, anticipating others’ reactions, comparing, second-guessing, and over-analyzing.
You’ll learn:
Why high-achieving women experience such brutal inner criticismHow emotional triggers and automatic thoughts form and... Duration: 00:45:21Boundaries Are Not Barriers: How to Protect Your Time and Energy This Holiday Season
Nov 19, 2025Feeling stretched thin this holiday season? You’re not alone.
In this episode of Work Unscripted, Marlo Lyons shares practical, guilt-free strategies for setting healthy boundaries at work and home, especially when the lines between the two start to blur. From turning off notifications and communicating expectations clearly, to defining what “urgent” really means, Marlo helps you reclaim your time, protect your energy, and stay aligned with your values.
Whether you’re a people pleaser, a leader managing burnout, or just trying to unplug without guilt, this epi...
Duration: 00:07:37It’s Time to Redefine Success: Ruchika Malhotra on Ending Burnout, Finding Fulfilment and How to “Uncompete”
Nov 05, 2025What if success didn’t have to be a competition?
In this episode of Work Unscripted, host Marlo Lyons sits down with Ruchika Malhotra, global inclusion strategist and author of the upcoming book Uncompete (Penguin Random House, releasing November 4). Together, they explore how the culture of competition in corporate life fuels burnout, bias, and exclusion, and learn how redefining success can help us build more collaborative, fulfilling, and joyful workplaces.
Ruchika shares practical steps for shifting from a scarcity mindset to one of abundance, how leaders can address competition on their teams, and why choosing jo...
Duration: 00:47:24Performance Reviews, Part 1: When Feedback Feels Like Judgment
Oct 22, 2025What happens when your performance review praises your results, but tears down your identity?
In this raw and vulnerable solo episode of Work Unscripted, host Marlo Lyons shares the real words from one of her own annual performance reviews— like “over-driving,” “over-reacting,” and “the Marlo show.” As a neurodivergent professional, Marlo unpacks how judgmental feedback lands, why it stings, and what leaders can do to make performance reviews feel constructive instead of personal.
You’ll learn:
Performance review tips for employees: How to respond to a bad review without spiralingPerformance review tips for managers: How to discuss r... Duration: 00:11:43How to Thrive as a Highly Sensitive Person at Work: Managing Burnout, Feedback, and Mental Health with Heather Dominick
Oct 08, 2025Are you or someone on your team a highly sensitive person (HSP)? You’re not alone. Roughly 20% of the population is born with this trait, meaning their nervous system processes stimuli more deeply than others. In this eye-opening episode of Work Unscripted, host Marlo Lyons sits down with Heather Dominick, founder of the Highly Sensitive Leadership training program, to unpack what it really means to be an HSP in today’s fast-paced workplace.
They discuss how HSPs can prevent burnout, manage constructive and destructive criticism, and navigate crucial conversations—especially in feedback situations with managers. You’ll learn ho...
Duration: 00:46:125 Things No One Tells You About Your Job (But You Need to Know to Get Ahead in Your Career)
Sep 24, 2025Most workplace advice skips the real truths: the things your manager won’t tell you, but that make or break your career. In this solo episode of Work Unscripted, host Marlo Lyons reveals the five unspoken rules that separate people who get stuck from those who move up fast.
You’ll learn why making your boss look good is essential, how stakeholder alignment protects your reputation, and why bringing proposals instead of final decisions builds buy-in. Marlo also unpacks why your career is YOUR job (not your manager’s) and why HR knows more about you than you th...
Duration: 00:08:41Gen Z in the Workplace: Mental Health, Adaptability, and What Managers Need to Know with Dr. Andrea Mata
Sep 10, 2025Gen Z is entering the workforce in record numbers and managers everywhere are feeling the impact. Studies show that 60% of businesses have already fired Gen Z employees within months of hiring them, citing poor communication, lack of initiative, and struggles adapting to corporate life. But what’s really behind this trend, and what can we do about it?
In this episode of Work Unscripted, host Marlo Lyons sits down with Dr. Andrea Mata, clinical psychologist, speaker, and author, to unpack the root causes of Gen Z’s workplace challenges, from gent...
Duration: 00:41:495 Job Search Hacks for a Brutal Market: Actionable Tips You Need Now
Aug 27, 2025Looking for a job in today’s market can feel overwhelming. Endless applications, ghosting, and tough competition leave many professionals stuck. That’s why career coach Marlo Lyons created this episode: to give you five practical, no-fluff job search hacks that actually work in a brutal market.
You’ll learn how to structure your search like a job, avoid the mistakes that sabotage your applications, upgrade your LinkedIn, build visibility, and create a support network that fuels momentum. If you’re wondering how to stand out and get hired faster in 2025, this is the episode you can’t afford to...
Duration: 00:05:04How Recruiters Really Work: Insider Tips to Accelerate Your Job Search with Kristen Fife
Aug 13, 2025Is your job search stalled, or are you wondering why recruiters aren't responding to your resume? In this episode, host Marlo Lyons talks to veteran recruiter Kristen Fife, author of "The Recruiter's Playbook," who shares insider secrets about how recruiters operate and what they're really looking for in candidates.
Learn why recruiters only spend six seconds scanning your resume, how applicant tracking systems (ATS) affect your job applications, and practical tips for standing out in a competitive job market. Whether you’re navigating a career change, searching for your next role, or feeling stuck in your job hu...
Duration: 00:52:23How to Get Noticed and Promoted at Work: 5 Mistakes You’re Making (and How to Fix Them)
Jul 30, 2025We’re halfway through the year and performance reviews are right around the corner. If you’re aiming for a promotion in the next performance cycle, you can’t afford to wait. The time to take control of your career is now. In this episode, host Marlo Lyons shares exactly how to get noticed and promoted at work, cutting through the noise of corporate life to reveal what truly drives advancement.
If you’re putting in long hours and hoping someone in leadership will notice, consider this your reality check: hard work alone won’t get you ahead. You...
Duration: 00:09:19Mastering Feedback Conversations: How Managers Can Build Trust, Improve Performance, and Boost Employee Engagement with Joan Hibdon
Jul 16, 2025Are your feedback conversations empowering your team or creating tension? In this episode of Work Unscripted, host Marlo Lyons talks with Joan Hibdon, author of "The Leader’s Guide to Mastering Feedback," about why most managers struggle to deliver effective feedback and how to transform criticism from destructive to constructive.
You'll find out why 65% of employees crave more frequent and meaningful feedback, learn practical frameworks for giving feedback well, and understand how to handle emotional reactions from underperforming employees. Joan breaks down the art of feedback, showing leaders how to turn crucial conversations into po...
Duration: 00:49:14Midyear Career Reset: 5 Powerful Strategies to Refocus Your Goals, Reclaim Your Time, and Realign for Success
Jul 02, 2025Ever wondered what truly separates the professionals who get ahead from those who just get by? It’s midyear and in this solo episode of Work Unscripted, host Marlo Lyons brings some unspoken truths that can transform your career trajectory and help you stand out in any job. Don’t worry, this isn’t your typical HR training, this episode is your backstage pass to navigating corporate politics, building credibility, and advancing professionally.
You’ll learn:
How to make your boss your greatest career ally by anticipating needs and protecting their reputation.Why stakeholder alignment is critical... Duration: 00:08:13The Power Pause: Redefining Motherhood, Career, and Ambition with Neha Ruch
Jun 18, 2025For many, parenthood includes hitting pause on your career. But does it have to impact your professional identity? On this episode of Work Unscripted, host Marlo Lyons sits down with Neha Ruch, author of The Power Pause, to explore how intentional career breaks for motherhood can redefine ambition, purpose, and professional fulfillment.
Neha shares her own journey of stepping away from a thriving career to prioritize motherhood, facing societal pushback, and eventually finding deep meaning and renewed ambition. Together, they discuss practical strategies for maintaining professional...
Duration: 00:48:24Fired and Misjudged: Why Getting Let Go Isn’t Always Your Fault (and How to Recover)
Jun 04, 2025Ever judged someone negatively after they got fired, without knowing the real story? You're not alone. In this solo episode of Work Unscripted, former HR executive Marlo Lyons exposes the uncomfortable truth behind workplace firings and the harmful assumptions we make about those who've been let go.
Marlo shares eye-opening stories from behind closed HR doors, highlighting the real reasons good employees get fired (often due to misalignment, management biases, or office politics) not incompetence. She challenges you to rethink your own perceptions and encourages genuine empathy, reminding us that today's fired colleague could be tomorrow’s in...
Duration: 00:07:53The Fulfillment Factor: Bernie Borges on Thriving at Work and Life
May 21, 2025Are you chasing happiness, or are you truly fulfilled? In this episode, Marlo sits down with Bernie Borges, the Fulfillment Architect and host of the Midlife Fulfilled Podcast, to explore what it means to build a meaningful life—especially in midlife.
Bernie reveals his powerful framework of five pillars: health, fitness, career, relationships, and legacy. You’ll discover why fulfillment is more enduring than happiness, how to recognize it in everyday achievements, and why leaders need to embrace "Fulfillment-Centric Leadership" to boost engagement, productivity, and retention in the workplace.
Is Your Company a Cult?
May 07, 2025Is your workplace truly supportive—or are you caught in something more manipulative than you realize?
In this solo episode, Marlo Lyons breaks down the difference between a healthy company culture and a full-blown company cult. From love bombing new hires to rewarding blind loyalty over actual performance, Marlo unpacks the subtle emotional manipulation tactics that can trap even the most high-performing professionals. She shares red flags to watch for, including over-identification with the company, fear of leadership, and transparency that’s more performative than real.
Whether you're feeling disillusioned at work or fiercely loyal to y...
Duration: 00:11:08Trust Your Gut: How to Harness Intuition for Life-Changing Decisions with Wendy Sterling
Apr 23, 2025Have you ever had that subtle feeling urging you toward a decision, but brushed it off as fear or uncertainty? What if that feeling was your greatest ally, guiding you toward the life and success you’ve always wanted?
In this empowering episode of Work Unscripted, Marlo sits down with Wendy Sterling—intuitive prosperity mentor, speaker, and bestselling author—to explore the transformative power of intuition. Wendy shares her incredible personal journey of leaving a secure, 20-year corporate career after a dramatic life event, trusting her intuition, and building a thriving seven-figure business.
You’ll discover...
Duration: 00:49:46The Corporate Climb to Financial Freedom: Make Your Career Work for You with Randy Thurman, CPA
Apr 09, 2025Have you ever been broke? Like, really broke? Marlo Lyons has, and now she's positioned herself to retire comfortably in her 60s. In this special solo episode, featuring insightful conversation clips from financial expert Randy Thurman, Marlo shares her personal journey from financial crisis to freedom, along with practical strategies you can apply immediately.
Randy Thurman, a CPA, Certified Financial Planner, and author of More Than a Millionaire, lays out his five critical steps to achieving true financial independence—whether you're just starting out or scrambling to...
Duration: 00:25:09Unscripted Insights: Expert Advice on Fulfillment, Jobs, Networking, and Working with Neurodivergence
Apr 02, 2025Step into a special recap edition of Work Unscripted, where host Marlo Lyons revisits the most powerful insights and expert advice shared this past quarter. From learning how to choose genuine fulfillment with Amy Wong, unlocking insider job market strategies with Jane Turkewitz, mastering fearless networking despite social anxiety with Michaela Alexis, to decoding and harnessing the strengths of ADHD in the workplace with Diann Wingert—this episode offers the very best strategies to thrive, adapt, and excel in both your professional and personal life.
Whether you’re new to the podcast or a dedicated list...
Duration: 00:11:18Decoding ADHD: Strategies for Success in the Workplace with Diann Wingert
Mar 26, 2025When it comes to navigating ADHD in the workplace, it’s time to think differently, in order to work differently. Marlo Lyons is joined by Diann Wingert, a former psychotherapist turned business coach, who shares her personal and professional journey with ADHD. Having received a late-life diagnosis herself, Diann understands the complexities of being neurodivergent in a corporate environment.
Marlo and Diann tackle the common misconceptions about ADHD, the emotional and professional struggles, and explore how ADHD can impact success when embraced with curiosity. They offer practical advice for both neurodivergent employees and leaders looking to create mo...
Duration: 00:49:43The Truth About HR: What You Need to Know
Mar 12, 2025Think HR is just about onboarding and exit interviews? Think again. In this episode, Marlo Lyons is dismantling common misperceptions and offering clearer perspective on how HR impacts your career and workplace relations. With years of firsthand experience, Marlo explores the dual nature of HRBPs and debunks myths about their role in supporting employees versus advancing business objectives.
Tune in to learn how to effectively navigate your relationship with HR, leverage executive coaching, and manage workplace dynamics to align your career trajectory with corporate goals. Plus, Marlo shares the limitations HR faces in influencing leadership decisions and w...
No Fear Networking: Michaela Alexis on Building Relationships When Social Anxiety Holds You Back
Feb 26, 2025Does networking feel like a chore, especially with social anxiety shadowing your every move? Join us on this episode of Work Unscripted as Marlo Lyons sits down with Michaela Alexis, author of ‘No Fear Networking: A Guide to Building Relationships for the Socially Anxious.’ Michaela shares her personal journey from battling agoraphobia to speaking on stages across the country, providing practical strategies that cater to the socially anxious.
You learn key techniques for managing anxiety, from goal setting to understanding your social battery, and learn how to apply the ‘15% rule’ to gently expand your comfort...
Duration: 00:47:05Cracking the Code: Mastering Communication Styles at Work
Feb 12, 2025It's true - sometimes people just don’t mesh. But in today’s episode, we’re diving into how communication styles can actually make or break workplace relationships. Marlo Lyons shares her personal journey with a challenging boss and how it transformed her approach to professional interactions. You'll learn the four main social styles—drivers, expressives, analyticals, and amiables—and how recognizing and adapting to these styles can dramatically improve your work relationships.
Marlo emphasizes the power of self-reflection and curiosity in overcoming communication barriers and reducing misunderstandings. Whether you’re navigating a difficult colleague or striving to enhance t...
Unlocking the Job Market: Insider Tips with Recruiter Jane Turkewitz
Jan 29, 2025Are you tired of the black hole of job applications, where you submit your resume and hear nothing back? Today, we're going to hear from an expert recruiter who's going to pull back the curtain on what's really happening on the other side. Jane Turkewitz, a seasoned executive recruiter and career coach, shares her unfiltered, expert advice on everything from crafting a standout resume that beats applicant tracking systems to acing your interviews with confidence.
You’ll learn why traditional job search wisdom might be holding you back, the importance of networking strategically, and how to maintain yo...
Resilience: The Secret Skill for Fighting Resistance and Adapting to Change
Jan 15, 2025When life throws you a curveball, how do you respond? In this solo episode, Marlo Lyons explores resilience—the essential ingredient that empowers us to thrive amidst adversity. Whether facing natural disasters or personal challenges, mastering resilience is crucial not just for surviving but for truly thriving. Marlo shares practical strategies to build resilience, including methods to pause, reflect, and bounce back stronger from life’s challenges. Resilience isn’t just a buzzword—it’s a critical skill in today’s volatile world. Tune in to learn how to cultivate it and transform your approach to overcoming life’s inevitable obs...
Duration: 00:20:51Living on Purpose: Choosing Fulfillment Over Default with Amy Wong
Jan 01, 2025Tired of making New Year's resolutions that fizzle out? Join Marlo Lyons on the inaugural episode of Work Unscripted as she sits down with Amy Wong, author of "Living on Purpose." Start the New Year by stepping away from fleeting resolutions and discover the five deliberate choices that can guide you to true fulfillment.
Amy challenges the autopilot mode of living that so many of us fall into and discusses why feeling your way through life, rather than calculating every step, can lead to deeper satisfaction. This episode is not about the typical goals of weight loss o...
Welcome to Work Unscripted!
Dec 10, 2024Welcome to Work Unscripted. Join host Marlo Lyons as she draws on over two decades of experience to offer unfiltered, hard-hitting insights into navigating the professional world. Each episode delivers real stories from those who've dared to redefine success, alongside practical tools to elevate your career. Whether you’re stuck in a job rut or on the cusp of a major career transition, Marlo provides the strategies and support you need to move forward with confidence. Subscribe now to transform your professional life and discover a path to fulfillment that goes beyond the conventional....
Duration: 00:02:05