Career Contessa

Ever feel like the default project manager at home or work? In this episode, Lauren sits down with Dr. Regina Lark to unpack soft incompetence—a subtle dynamic that quietly shifts emotional labor onto one person, often with good intentions. Learn how to spot it, talk about it, and rebalance responsibility without resentment.You’ll learn:How soft incompetence differs from weaponized incompetence.Early signs of emotional labor imbalance.One simple shift to redistribute responsibility more fairly.Show NotesWeekly Newsletter Sign-Up: http://bit.ly/37hqtQW Guest Resources:Dr. Regina Lark: https://www.reginalark.com/ Career Contessa ResourcesBook 1:1 career coaching session: https://www.careercontessa.com/hire-a-mentor/ Take an online course: https://www.careercontessa.com/education/ Get your personalized salary report: https://www.careercontessa.com/the-salary-project/ SponsorSign up for your one-dollar-per-month Shopify trial today at shopify.com/careercontessa.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Ravi Rajani, keynote speaker and author of Relationship Currency, teaches leaders how to communicate with trust, integrity, and authenticity. He breaks down five communication habits. Short segments cover reframing your internal story, the Three C's of trust, asking conscious questions, unearthing charisma as a skill, and slowing down to build presence.

Bria Starmer, founder and CEO of Lions & Tigers who builds blended teams combining full-time staff and independent specialists. She discusses the rise of blended teams and why they matter. She explores why many women choose flexible work and how to transition to freelance roles. She breaks down practical logistics like scheduling, retention strategies, and AI’s role in shifting—not replacing—work.

Margaret C. Andrews, a Harvard professor and author who teaches leadership rooted in self-awareness, explains why lack of self-awareness derails careers. Short, punchy takes on how intentions differ from impact. Tips on tiny daily practices to improve emotional control. A forward-looking look at why human skills matter as AI reshapes work.

Jesse Mecham, founder of You Need A Budget and personal finance expert, shares his approach to easing money anxiety. He discusses why higher income often raises stress, how assigning every dollar a job removes second-guessing, simple steps to allocate paychecks, the pitfalls of Buy Now, Pay Later, and using AI as a thinking partner for clearer financial choices.

Greg Lawson, public information lead at California's EDD who helps people navigate unemployment benefits and job services. He walks through the first steps after a layoff. He explains when to file, common application mistakes to avoid, and what state job-seeker programs can support your search. He also covers benefit timing and how to prepare to avoid delays.

Marnie Lemonik, a career coach who left corporate to build coaching and content full-time. She recounts how small steps and pitching led to momentum. She explains the financial prep and mindset shifts before going all in. She highlights stubborn consistency, learning to “figure it out,” and launching her own long-form podcast.

Carolyn Dewar, senior partner at McKinsey and coauthor of A CEO for All Seasons, shares leadership research from interviews with top CEOs. She explores why mid-career plateaus happen and how outsider thinking and anonymous feedback can reignite momentum. Carolyn discusses quiet ambition, using AI as a challenger, protected thinking time, and practical resets to reinvent impact within your role.

Dr. Vanessa Druskat, associate professor and leadership expert on team performance and emotional intelligence. She explains why team norms matter more than individual talent. Short, concrete examples show how small changes like eye contact and check-ins boost respect and results. Learn quick routines to assess, change, and lock in emotionally intelligent team behaviors.

Julie Zhuo, author and product leader who rose from intern to VP of Product Design at Facebook and co-founded Sundial. She talks about leading teams with AI as collaborators. Discussion covers how AI exposes clarity gaps, why productivity gains can create new bottlenecks, using AI to rehearse hard conversations, and which leadership skills grow in importance.