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PODCAST

The Lonely Office

The Lonely Office

Welcome to The Lonely Office, an award-winning podcast about making sense of the increasingly blurry line between work and life, brought to you by Glassdoor. We tackle real workplace stories from anonymous firsthand accounts—job ghosting, the truth behind unlimited PTO, nightmare bosses—and share insider advice on layoffs, severance, negotiations, and career moves. From candidates vaping in interviews to employees fired over free speech, we cover the wild reality of modern jobs. Whether you’re

business careers

All Episodes

26:34

10 Work Personalities AI Can’t Replace Soon Enough

The Lonely Office ·

2025/05/14

This week we count down the 10 workplace personalities ready for AI replacement first. From the Faux CTO who draws cloud diagrams but never writes code to the Google Drive Gatekeeper who hasn't shown their face in two years, which corporate characters most deserve automation? And which one might you secretly be yourself? With AI project managers already in development, the office archetypes on our hit list should be watching their backs.Hosts: Matt

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28:05

Work From Anywhere? Be Careful What You Wish For

The Lonely Office ·

2025/05/07

With nearly 18 million Americans now identifying as digital nomads, is working from exotic locations truly the dream job? This week we investigate what happens when Addie meets a potential romance in Iceland, only to find herself uploading massive files from a freezing rental car to meet a deadline. From loneliness topping the list of nomad complaints to 14% of employees going global without telling their bosses, we explore whether the freedom to work from 60+ countries with special visas is worth

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33:12

The Art of Getting Ahead Without Working

The Lonely Office ·

2025/04/30

Maria shows up to work four times a year, just for the quarterly presentation, then vanishes. Yet leadership loves her. This week, we investigate why charismatic communicators advance faster than dedicated workers - and what that means in an AI-driven workplace. From walking briskly with papers to scheduling empty whiteboard sessions, we explore the corporate caricatures who excel at performing more than doing, and why that might matter more than ever.Hosts: Matt

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27:00

Digital Hypocrisy: Why Our Kids Won't Put Down Their...

The Lonely Office ·

2025/04/23

With 42% of kids owning smartphones by age 10, is it time to confront our digital hypocrisy as parents? Adam cut bedtime reading short to answer work messages—only to catch his daughter secretly scrolling Instagram. When we're expected to be always online yet limit our kids' screen time, who's setting the example—and who are we really protecting?Hosts: Matt Sunbulli https://www.linkedin.com/in/sunbulli/ https://www.firstdraft.vc Aaron Calafato Listen to Aaron's 7 Minute Stories Podcast Leah

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32:38

From Intern to CEO — Nike's Fairytale Ending

The Lonely Office ·

2025/04/16

We kick things off with Glassdoor’s Chris Martin, who shares insights from a recent internship analysis. Then, we shift to a story that feels more relevant than ever: is the classic “mailroom to boardroom” path still alive? Zach thinks so—until he tries to follow in the footsteps of Nike’s new CEO, who rose from intern to corner office over 32 years. But there’s a catch: the unpaid internship Zach’s eyeing already requires two years of experience. From 12:03 AM rejection emails to career portals

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23:13

PTO for Sale: A New Workplace Trend?

The Lonely Office ·

2025/04/09

This week we investigate the growing trend of PTO marketplaces, where 10% of companies now allow employees to buy, sell, and even gift vacation days. From Ben bribing his boss with three PTO days before a performance review to employees purchasing extra time to care for aging parents, we explore whether these programs offer genuine flexibility or just another way for companies to offload responsibility. Are these exchanges the next evolution beyond unlimited PTO, or simply a clever accounting trick

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28:06

I Hired a $6,000 Career Coach — And Still Got Laid Off

The Lonely Office ·

2025/04/02

This week we investigate the $3 billion career coaching industry that's exploded to 70,000 coaches worldwide. From 23-year-olds giving life advice to vague promises about "audacious visions," we examine what happens when professionals like Jamie spend $6,000 on advice like "eat a healthy breakfast" only to lose their job anyway. With advertising veteran Cindy Gallop, we explore whether the problem is really you needing "fixing" or just your work environment, and why sometimes the best career

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22:42

Is the ‘’Act Your Wage’ Economy’ Over?

The Lonely Office ·

2025/03/26

When promotions go to office politicians instead of high performers, more workers are choosing to do exactly what they're paid for - and nothing more. With 52% of young professionals now doing exactly what they're paid for and nothing more, we explore whether "acting your wage" is sustainable in today's challenging job market.Hosts: Matt Sunbulli https://www.linkedin.com/in/sunbulli/ https://www.firstdraft.vc Aaron Calafato Listen to Aaron's 7 Minute Stories Leah Ova Follow Leah on TikTok

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22:04

Corporate Psyops: How Companies Control Narratives

The Lonely Office ·

2025/03/19

This week we explore corporate messaging tactics that walk the line between strategic communication and outright manipulation. When a seemingly doomed company announces they're "facing unexpected challenges" but miraculously recovers days later, should employees feel relieved or manipulated? From mysteriously "secured" contracts to stress balls instead of bonuses, companies are experts at controlling their narrative. We explore the blurry line between necessary narrative control and outright

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24:20

When Humans Start Dating the Machine

The Lonely Office ·

2025/03/12

With searches for "AI girlfriend" up 2400% and one in five men on dating apps trying AI companions, are we witnessing the next evolution of human connection, or just a temporary stop on the journey to finding real love? When Vince loses his job after turning Slack into his personal dating playground, he finds an unexpected solution: an AI chatbot named Dolly. From workplace romances gone wrong to the surprising statistics behind AI dating, we explore the blurring boundaries between professional

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25:55

The Bro Culture Reset: Why Corporate Masculinity is...

The Lonely Office ·

2025/03/05

From CEOs embracing "masculine energy" to workers claiming they can't "be themselves" anymore, something's triggering a masculinity crisis at work. This week, we explore what happens when men feel their identity is challenged in the modern workplace.Hosts: Matt Sunbulli https://www.linkedin.com/in/sunbulli/ https://www.threads.net/@mattsunbulli https://www.firstdraft.vc Aaron Calafato Listen to Aaron's 7 Minute Stories Leah Ova Follow Leah on TikTok Editorial: Matt Sunbulli Brooks

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12:58

The Email That Shook Washington: Workforce Audit or...

The Lonely Office ·

2025/02/26

A weekend email from DOGE—titled What Did You Do Last Week? —hit millions of federal employees’ inboxes, sparking confusion, panic, and speculation about a mass downsizing effort. Was it a routine check-in on government efficiency or a strategic move to force resignations and trim the workforce? In this episode, we break down the chaos, agency responses, and what this moment reveals about the evolving nature of job security.Hosts: Matt

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21:58

Severed: When Work and Life Split Apart

The Lonely Office ·

2025/02/26

When Mark chooses to "sever" his work self from his home self in Apple TV's hit show Severance, it reveals a workplace fantasy many secretly share: what if you could leave your work baggage at the office and your personal troubles at home? From compartmentalized personas to corporate cult culture, we explore how this sci-fi drama eerily mirrors today's workplace reality. Are we all performing different versions of ourselves throughout the day? And in a world where work-life boundaries continue to

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21:05

Furlough Frenzy: Inside Stop Work Orders Shaking Up...

The Lonely Office ·

2025/02/19

When USAID issued sudden stop work orders, thousands of NGO workers were caught in the crossfire. This week, as DOGE sets its audit sights on more federal agencies, we talk to a furloughed employee about the impact of frozen federal funding. Are American taxpayers’ calls for greater accountability being answered? Is this truly about fiscal responsibility, or are we putting America’s strategic “soft power” at risk?Hosts: Matt

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28:11

9 to 3 is the New Work Day

The Lonely Office ·

2025/02/12

Welcome to the "in-between hours”—that precious window from school drop-off to pickup where working parents attempt to pack a full day's productivity into six fleeting hours. When Matt tries to squeeze his workday between 9 and 3, he discovers the new reality of the remote working parent.From impromptu kid cameos on Zoom calls to the pressure of the afternoon countdown, we explore how parents navigate these compressed hours. Is there a way to succeed in this new normal, or are we all just surviving

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21:22

My Boss Is Plotting Against Me Because I'm Good at My...

The Lonely Office ·

2025/02/05

When Brooks started outperforming everyone on his team, he thought his career was about to take off. Instead, his manager Jordan felt threatened, blocked his promotion, and even asked him to train his own replacement. Sound familiar?From blocking promotions to playing favorites, we explore why being too good at your job can backfire. How do you handle a boss who sees your talent as a threat? And is there a way to shine without becoming a target? Hosts: Matt

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19:30

Millions of Federal Workers Face a “Fork in the Road”...

The Lonely Office ·

2025/02/01

This week, millions of federal workers received an email that upended their job security overnight. With a deadline looming, they must decide: accept a new reality of stricter performance mandates, a full return to office, and reclassification to at-will status—or opt for an eight-month resignation package. What does this seismic shift mean for public sector employees, their families, and even the private sector? In this episode Matt and Aaron explore the ripple effects of this high-stakes moment in

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26:18

Is the Mailroom-to-CEO Story a Corporate Fairy Tale?

The Lonely Office ·

2025/01/29

Nike's new CEO started as an intern in 1988 and worked his way to the top over 32 years. When Zach saw this "mailroom-to-boardroom" success story on LinkedIn, he thought he'd found his path forward—until he discovered even unpaid internships now require years of experience.From automated rejections to impossible requirements, we explore whether these classic career success stories are possible anymore. Has the traditional path to the top disappeared, or does it just look different in 2024? Hosts:

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29:14

Could DOGE Fix Corporate America?

The Lonely Office ·

2025/01/22

When the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) announced its mission to tackle $200 billion in federal waste, it got us thinking: what if companies had their own version of DOGE?From 17-meeting days to empty offices collecting dust, we imagine what a corporate DOGE would tackle first. Could this government initiative inspire a revolution in how companies handle their own bureaucratic bloat? Hosts: Matt

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21:03

How To Be A Likeable Badass At Work

The Lonely Office ·

2025/01/15

When high-achieving Meghana discovered her stellar work at Instagram wasn't enough to impress leadership, she learned a crucial lesson: success isn't just about what you do—it's about how you tell your story.Together with psychologist and author Allison Fragale, we explore the delicate balance between being likeable and assertive at work. Are you undermining your own success by staying quiet about your achievements? And what's the secret to promoting yourself without coming across as

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148 results

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