Breaking Work

Hosted by Michael Gardon

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Episodes

160

Latest episode

Mar 2026

Language

EN-US

About the show

Entrepreneur Michael Gardon is on a mission to help people BREAK work and get intentional about their career journey. In 2018 work wasn't working for Mike, so he decided to BREAK work and design a better work-life. Now, he helps people do the same. Hear from corporate careerists who have found fulfillment in new industries. Hear from entrepreneurs and solopreneurs who invest in themselves in pursuit of a more fulfilled, more sane life. Hear from side hustlers who are building more resilient work lives. Hear what their break moment was, hear how they overcame resistance and their actionable advice for doing the same. You'll also hear a short strategy or story each week from Mike's own experience reinventing his career 6 different times! There's never been a better time to take control.

Listen to episodes

60 recent

March 24, 20261 hr 3 min

The Hidden Reason Businesses Stop Scaling With Ashley Bright

#538- Ashley Bright is a former advertising creative director turned entrepreneur and co-founder of Makertank, a platform designed to help founders build sustainable businesses with the right systems and support. After spending 15 years in the agency world working with major brands like Microsoft and Amazon, Ashley began to question the traditional path of success, especially after a pivotal career setback and the perspective shift that came with becoming a parent. That turning point led to a deeper exploration of storytelling, communication, and ultimately entrepreneurship, where Ashley has spent over a decade navigating the highs and lows of building a business. In this conversation, Ashley shares honest insights on identity, emotional intelligence, and what it really takes to move from external success to meaningful, self-directed work.

March 24, 202646 min

Why High Performers Still Feel Stuck With Leila Entezam

#537- Leila Entezam is a neuroemotional intelligence expert, executive coach, and author of The Heart of Peak Performance. With a unique background in neuroscience, business, and psychology, she helps high performers understand the deeper patterns behind their behavior so they can make more intentional decisions and perform at a higher level.

October 6, 2025Episode 5361 hr 8 min

How to Create Lasting Change in Your Life and Career With Richard Boyatzis

#536: Richard Boyatzis is a distinguished university professor at Case Western Reserve University and one of the world's leading experts on intentional change and emotional intelligence. With degrees from MIT and Harvard, he has spent nearly six decades researching how people and organizations can create lasting, positive transformation. Richard is the author and co-author of ten books, including the international bestseller Primal Leadership, Helping People Change, and his newest release The Science of Change. His work blends neuroscience, psychology, and organizational behavior to uncover how vision, renewal, and resonant relationships drive real growth - making him a go-to voice for anyone looking to reimagine their career, leadership, or life.

August 25, 2025Episode 5351 hr 13 min

Building Your Bravery Muscle with Jill Schulman

#535: Jill Schulman is a former U.S. Marine Corps officer turned leadership development expert and founder of Breakthrough Leadership Group. Drawing on a deep background in psychology, neuroscience, and behavioral science, she blends rigorous research with practical strategies to help individuals and teams cultivate resilience, increase performance, and enhance well‑being through the science of bravery. Her upcoming book, The Bravery Effect, offers accessible, evidence‑based tools to help you develop a courageous mindset, take bold action, and build meaningful support systems. Jill's philosophy is simple yet powerful: "Courage over regret"—embrace discomfort, start with the hard stuff, and live a life led by bravery, not comfort.

August 11, 2025Episode 53459 min

How To Turn Adversity Into a Life of Impact With Chason Forehand

#534: Chason Forehand is a mission-driven leader who turned a turbulent childhood, addiction, and homelessness into a blueprint for building a life of impact. After a pivotal moment of compassion from a chef who helped him get clean, Chason committed himself to paying it forward. In this episode, he shares the practical steps and lessons he's learned, from overcoming adversity and silencing your inner critic to creating sustainable change through his nonprofit, Transformation Kitchen. As host of the Time to Change podcast, Chason continues to spotlight strategies for making a difference in your own life and community.

July 28, 2025Episode 5331 hr 2 min

Break Free From Burnout and Build a Life That Works for You With Scott Raven

#533: Scott Raven is a former Fortune 500 executive turned liberation expert who helps overwhelmed entrepreneurs escape the cycle of burnout and build businesses that support their lives, not consume them. After experiencing his own breaking point and trading one "prison" for another in his first business venture, Scott developed the Liberation Framework: a strategic system rooted in the Six Dimensions of Freedom, from time sovereignty and operational independence to sustainable success. Through Corvus Empowerment Solutions, Scott now guides founders in designing work that aligns with who they are, not just what they do, so they can lead with purpose, reclaim their time, and create lasting impact.

May 12, 2025Episode 5321 hr 3 min

How to Build a Solo Business That Funds Your Dream Life With Joe McKay

#532: Joe McKay is an Australian business coach and solopreneur mentor who helps founders and solo business owners build thriving, opportunity-generating brands. After leaving a secure government job in Australia, Joe relocated his family to France, where he grew a six-figure solo business by overcoming his own fears of posting online and sharing his voice. Today, he specializes in helping busy founders and consultants create high-impact thought leadership content, while coaching solopreneurs to move from content to conversations to conversions. Joe's clients have landed six-figure deals, booked keynote speaking engagements, guested on top podcasts, and secured board and advisory roles — all through the power of strategic content and personal brand growth.

April 7, 20251 hr 14 min

Embracing Change and Building Social Muscles with Henna Pryor

#531 - Henna Pryor, CSP is a dynamic Workplace Performance Expert who speaks and writes about performance mindset, interpersonal dynamics, high-impact communication, and embracing bumps in a world that keeps optimizing for smoothness. She is a regular Expert Columnist for Inc. Magazine, 18x award-winning author of Good Awkward, and an in-demand global keynote speaker. Her playful personality and insightful talks blend 2 decades of working with corporate leaders and teams with a fresh, science-based approach to taking more strategic risks and boosting social and mental fitness for success at work. Her clients call her their "secret weapon for impossible change" — a title she wears proudly. In addition to speaking for TEDx, SXSW, and being frequently tapped by media outlets like Business.com, FastCompany, INSIDER, HuffPost, NBC, FOX, and more, she's a SUCCESS Magazine Woman of Influence, LinkedIn Learning Instructor, and Glassdoor WorkLife Pro. Her book was also named a Kirkus Reviews' Best Book of the Year.

March 10, 2025Episode 53059 min

How To Take A Transformational Life Break With Katrina McGhee

#530: Katrina McGhee is a Career Break and Sabbatical Expert, creator of the Break Blueprint, BreakSpace and the author of Taking a Career Break for Dummies. As a certified master coach with an MBA, Katrina helps mid-career professionals create happier, more fulfilling lives by designing bold and transformational breaks. Her clients return from their breaks recharged, inspired, happily-employed and forever changed. On their time off, her 60+ clients have traveled the world, launched a business, changed careers and more. Katrina's work was inspired by her own 20-month career break where she saved $40,000 in just 18 months to quit her corporate job to travel the world. She's now an enthusiastic world traveler and digital nomad. Her advice on career breaks, money, and travel has been shared across various outlets including Forbes, Smarter Travel, Thrive Global, and Yahoo.

March 3, 20251 hr 5 min

How To Uncage Yourself - The Right Way With Matt Doan

#529: Matt Doan is a transformational coach and entrepreneur dedicated to helping senior professionals break free from the constraints of corporate life and build sustainable, purpose-driven businesses online. After spending a decade climbing the corporate ladder in management consulting, he faced a personal crisis that forced him to reevaluate his path. Determined to reclaim his life, he immersed himself in entrepreneurship, coaching, and high-level mastermind programs, ultimately developing a proven system for transitioning from corporate roles to entrepreneurial freedom without unnecessary risk. Since 2019, Matt has guided hundreds of professionals through this life-changing journey, offering structured strategies and real-world insights to help them achieve autonomy, financial stability, and a fulfilling career beyond the traditional workforce.