Advertise on podcast: Surfing Corporate

Welcome to the finale of the Surfing Corporate Podcast, corporate surfers! For today’s very special episode, we flip the script and bring on an amazing guest-host (Surfing Corporate former guest, Christine Escribano) to interview Aileen Merciel and Glenda Pacanins in a revealing tell-all conversation á la Barbara Walters. Get ready, cause stones will be turned, skeletons will be found, and corporate secrets will be spilled, all while drinking too much champagne (please don’t tell HR). Over the last four seasons of the Surfing Corporate Podcast, we have featured more than 30 prestigious guests and now it’s our hosts’ turns in the hot seat. Join us as we close out this amazing journey.

We dive into the riveting journey of Peggy Northrop, a true publishing powerhouse, as she unravels the invaluable lessons acquired over 30 years in the corporate arena. From navigating the cut-throat publishing landscape in the 90s to earning her "Corporate Ph.D." under the mentorship of Vogue Magazine's Editor-in-Chief, Anna Wintour, Peggy swiftly ascended to the coveted role of Editor-in-Chief at prestigious publications like Reader’s Digest, More Magazine, and Sunset. In the face of unprecedented challenges, including the digital transformation of print media and the economic upheaval of 2008, Peggy not only weathered the storms but emerged stronger. Her entrepreneurial spirit led her to establish her independent publishing company, a feat achieved while balancing a demanding full-time corporate role. Now, as a seasoned consultant, trusted advisor, board member, and investor in female-driven enterprises, Peggy reflects on her three-decade journey, sharing insights that transcend the pages of her illustrious career.

A recent study at a major company found that women there were 14% LESS likely to be promoted than their male counterparts every year. Researchers found that a major factor was the fact that women were consistently judged as having lower leadership potential than men. But why and more importantly, is that finding widespread across industries? During this episode, we dive into this topic and learn more about why this happens, and how we can all do better.

As more and more companies are mandating return-to-office policies to their employees (many of whom deem those mandates as unnecessary and counterproductive), workplace culture takes on more importance for employees and management alike. So, how can you balance the needs of both employees and employers? If you ask @Claude Silver, Chief Heart Officer at Vayner Media, employers need to step up their game and create work cultures that employees actually want to be a part of. She’s determined that, at Vayner Media, employees will find it both appealing AND beneficial to work in-person with their colleagues and superiors. In this episode, Claude shares her philosophy on work and what it actually means to be a Chief Heart Officer (trust us, it makes a lot of sense). She also talks about the tactics that lead their employees to be excited about work and event in-person meetings (yes, it is possible).. Spoiler alert: it’s not about ping-pong tables and Kombucha bars!

Aileen and Glenda catch up post summer vacation, share updates on season 4 and somehow end up discussing the Barbie movie.

We look back at the best moments of the season and also discuss hot new topics, like the current female-driven movement on social media that is making the case for women to write emails more like men (more assertive, less apologetic). We also unpack the new corporate buzzword that is giving us hives: ProcastiWorking. Featured Guests: Cy Wakeman, Daniel Space (AKA DanFromHR), Susana Sala Bosch, Alexa Baggio, Christine Escribano, Jordan Stratton

According to the Better Business Bureau, approximately 14 million people encounter job scams annually in the U.S. alone! 😱😱 In 2022, CNBC reported that Americans lost $68 million to this deceitful practice. With the rise of remote job opportunities, scammers have unlocked a whole new level of potential victims. In this episode, we tackle the very current issue of job scams, and we talk about "ghost posts" (positions that companies post on major online professional platforms, but they have no real intention of filling) and why that’s actually a thing. We also interview Callie Heim, a marketing professional who was scammed via LinkedIn's Easy Apply feature, and we connect with recruiting expert Daniel Space (@danfromhr) who shares advice on how to avoid this from happening to you.

For this week’s episode, we have a treat for our Spanish-speaking fans, since Aileen and Glenda interview our fan favorite guest, Susana Sala Bosch, but this time, 100% in her native Spanish. She’s as insightful, honest and funny as ever, and now, en español! Estamos felices de compartir nuestro primer episodio especial de Surfing Corporate. En este episodio, conversamos con Susana Sala Bosch, una ejecutiva senior con una amplia experiencia navegando exitosamente las aguas (a veces turbulentas) de “Corporate America”. Con su trayectoria como líder de recursos humanos, operaciones y planificación estratégica en las industrias del entretenimiento, bebidas alcohólicas y producción de alimentos, Susana ofrece una perspectiva única sobre cómo los profesionales extranjeros pueden tener éxito en el mundo corporativo americano. Descubrirás cómo se adaptó a las diferencias culturales, cómo lideró equipos en un entorno multicultural y cómo aprendió rapidito a decir “F*ck” en vez de “Joder”. Si eres extranjero y trabajas en Estados Unidos o si deseas entender mejor las diferencias culturales de tu entorno laboral, este episodio es para ti.

We all know that Executive Assistants perform key administrative tasks, but the scope of their role goes WAY beyond what appears on their job description. They are psychologists, secret service agents, strategists, magicians, cheerleaders and general advisors. They also have a special “chaos radar” that allows them to detect and get ahead of any potential issue before it becomes a massive mess. Their duties vary from buying multi-million dollar homes for their bosses to influencing top-level corporate decisions, handling highly confidential information and also, sometimes even picking up dog sh*t if needed.This job promises one thing: it will never be boring. For this episode, we talk with two Executive Assistants who share their insider’s POV of a role that keeps so many of the corporate players – and pieces – in place, and all this without most people even knowing it.

In movies and TV shows, women in the workplace are often pitted against each other to ramp up the drama and tension among characters. Think Meryl Streep’s fabulous “Miranda Priestley” in The Devil Wears Prada. But does is this kind of “Queen Bee” behavior true in real life? Or more of an exaggeration? And f it is true, why would women sabotage other women in the workplace? During this episode, Aileen and Glenda delve into the controversial topic of workplace “Queen Bees”, discussing research on the topic that can be both enlightening and infuriating. We also share highlights from our fascinating conversation with Andie Kramer, who is an accomplished attorney, a nationally recognized authority on gender equality, a best-selling author on the subject and someone who’s worked tirelessly to increase women’s leadership opportunities. Andie and her husband and co-author Al Harris have written three award-winning books: Beyond Bias: The PATH to Ending Gender Inequality at Work; Breaking Through Bias: Communication Techniques for Women to Succeed at Work; and It’s Not You, It’s the Workplace: Women’s Conflict at Work and the Bias That Built It. They are contributing writers to Harvard Business Review’s On Women and Leadership, and Andie is a contributing writer on gender issues in the workplace for Forbes.com. They are also the authors of hundreds of articles on diversity and overcoming gender stereotypes that have been featured in a wide variety of national media outlets including HBR.org, The HuffPost, The New York Times, NBC News, The Chicago Tribune, and Fast Company.

Did you know that the average employee spends nearly 2.5 hours per day in drama? Yup, we spend 150 minutes a day gossiping, tattling, withholding buy-in, and resisting change. The good news is that it doesn’t have to be this way. Imagine having the right tools to leave the drama ––AKA emotional waste –– behind, and instead spend your time and energy on your actual work and wellbeing. This is the goal of Cy Wakeman, a therapist accidentally turned drama researcher who is recognized for cultivating a counter-intuitive, reality-based approach to leadership. During this episode, Cy shines a light on the part that we ourselves play in creating workplace drama (it’s not just a problem that everyone else has) and she provides techniques to improve the way we face these challenging moments in our interactions with colleagues. She also shares her most embarrassing moments ever on stage. Cy is a New York Times best-selling author and a sought-out consultant and speaker for many Fortune 500 companies. She’s been featured on the TODAY Show, the AskGaryVee Show with Gary Vaynerchuk, The New York Times, Business Insider, The Daily Muse, SHRM.com and many more. Now she can add being on the Surfing Corporate podcast to her accolades.

Recent studies confirm that romance at the workplace is on the rise, and this is probably not the dream scenario for HR or legal. To weigh in on this topic, our friends from the People Problems podcast did a great episode we thought you'd enjoy. Hosts Alexa Baggio and Tyson MacKenzie are joined by Jon Hyman – their favorite employment lawyer – for extra laughs and his solid legal POV to review the details of HR's stickier situations. Whether the romance leads to marriage or becomes hot gos, navigating the office dating pool has its own set of rules. Get some 'based on real-life' advice on sh*tting where you eat, how to handle a colleague's advances, and some things to be careful of when you're bumping uglies with a coworker. This is real life. Don't miss out!