

FRIED. The Burnout Podcast
Cait Donovan, Top Burnout Expert for Corporate and Nonprofit Organizations
FRIED: The Burnout Podcast is a top 1% global podcast hosted by burnout expert and keynote speaker Cait Donovan. It’s for leaders, teams, and high-achieving humans who are done treating exhaustion as the cost of ambition.For its first 10 seasons, FRIED focused primarily on individual burnout recovery—helping listeners understand their nervous systems, boundaries, and capacity. Starting in Season 11, the conversation expands.FRIED now takes a more organizational and leadership-level view of burnout, exploring how the fit between people, roles, expectations, and systems determines whether work is sustainable or slowly burns people out.Each week, you’ll hear:Conversations with professionals and leaders who’ve recovered from burnoutInsights on leadership, workplace stress, and organizational designSolo episodes where Cait breaks down how hidden mismatches quietly drive disengagement, resentment, turnover, and burnout—even in high-performing culturesAt its core, FRIED asks a different question than most burnout conversations:Where is the work no longer matching the humans doing it?Burnout is rarely a motivation problem. It’s a mismatch problem. FRIED helps leaders and organizations spot those mismatches early and make practical, human-centered adjustments that improve both performance and wellbeing.You’ll love FRIED: The Burnout Podcast if you’re a leader, manager, HR professional, or high-responsibility human who wants to reduce burnout without lowering standards or blaming people.Welcome to FRIED.Let’s build work that matches.
Episodes
Mentioned books

Nov 3, 2019 • 44min
Kim Porter: Shed Old Identities And Emerge From Burnout
After a threatened miscarriage, instead of listening to the whispers, Kim Porter doubled down and went for it in her business because of the fear that if she slowed down and let go of what she had built, none of what she had done until that point would have had value. Can’t you just feel that in your gut? The need to stick with a job, a career, a relationship because you’ve invested in it already, because it's part of your identity? “I was so busy striving for goals I didn't know how to stop. Meditation, setting my intentions, and journaling all helped me get back to my center again.” Kim Porter Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Oct 30, 2019 • 1h 9min
Cait Donovan: The Host of FRIED Shares Her Burnout Story
This is it. Nathalie Norris, nutritionist and all-around superstar asked Cait if she could reverse interview her for FRIED, and Cait agreed. Here, you get the background story, Cait's burnout story, her methods for keeping it at bay these days and her plans for her business in 2020. If you've been curious about what got Cait where she is, this is the one you've been waiting for.... show notes at: www.friedtheburnoutpodcast.com/post/cait-donovan Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Oct 27, 2019 • 44min
Sarah Dawn: Discovering Self-Worth and Self-Love to Conquer Burnout
Sarah Dawn discusses the root cause of burnout - the belief that we are not enough. She shares her journey from burnout to building successful businesses. Topics include societal pressure, self-worth, navigating career paths, and rediscovering passion through self-reflection.

4 snips
Oct 20, 2019 • 54min
Rosalind Cardinal: Burnout, Cancer, and Regret
Burnout comes in many forms, and is often accompanied by a diagnosable physical (or mental-emotional) issue. In Rosalind Cardinal's case, she found out she had breast cancer on the anniversary of the day her mother passed from breast cancer. It sent her high achieving self on an internal journey. She got honest, she unpacked regrets, she made different plans and different choices. Are you waiting for the bomb to drop before making a change? Let this be your reminder to start today, in any small way you can. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Oct 13, 2019 • 34min
Dr. Lisa Mascall: Let People Love You in order to Heal from Burnout
Dr. Lisa Mascall went from the US to Germany and back and that helped her transform from a Physical Therapist to an Acupuncturist. Inspired by Battlefield Acupuncture that she learned in Germany while treating the US Army for traumatic brain injuries, Dr. Mascall returned to the US and went back to school for a Master's in Chinese Medicine. Dr. Mascall shows us that following our inklings and filling our lives with things and people we love helps to protect us from burnout. Show Notes: www.friedtheburnoutpodcast.com/post/dr-lisa-mascall Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Oct 6, 2019 • 53min
Anne Ditmeyer: Checking Your 'Should's' As a Burnout Prevention Tool
In this conversation with my fellow US/EU Dual citizen, Anne Ditmeyer, we discussed the lessons we learned living in Europe vs. the US, the ideals around what vacation time means and the adjustments we needed to make to wrap our heads around living life differently. Anne runs: Navigate Paris, a tool to perfectly plan your trip to Paris online before you get there and she's also a creative coach and consultant. Show notes at: www.friedtheburnoutpodcast.com/post/anne-ditmeyer Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Sep 29, 2019 • 43min
Dr. Shannon DiCarlo: When You Can't Bloom Where You're Planted
In this episode, Dr. Shannon DiCarlo shares how being out of alignment was burning her out. She had to get uber honest with herself about what was working and what was not and then follow her curiosities until she was able to create and do what she truly felt was her calling in the world of medicine. Now, she treats private patients in Montclair, NJ as an expert in Integrative Medicine. Listen to how she got where she is on this week's episode! Show Notes: www.friedtheburnoutpodcast.com/post/dr-shannon-dicarlo Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Sep 22, 2019 • 38min
Kellie McConahay: Use Your Body's Wisdom To Overcome Burnout
Kellie went from being someone who was totally out of touch with her body to being someone who is totally in touch with her body. Sometimes it can be hard to hear, "The Answer is Within" because you don't know the damn answer and who and where is this within?!?! Kellie very honestly takes us through her journey - and her relationship with her body throughout said journey. If this doesn't convince you to start paying attention to the signs, I'm not sure what will. Show Notes: www.friedtheburnoutpodcast.com/post/kellie-mcconahay If you've been stuck on the burnout cycle for too long and you're ready to get off, book a call with Cait, for FREE using this link: www.caitdonovan.as.me/free Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Sep 15, 2019 • 47min
Molly Dyer: Highly Senstive People and Burnout
Fellow acupuncturist Molly Dyer and I chat about burnout, her passion for tap dancing, and the extra precautions Highly Sensitive People should take to protect themselves from burnout. Molly's energy is so calm and soothing and her ability to create space for people is palpable even in this episode - I think she was a better host than I was here! Show Notes: www.friedtheburnoutpodcast.com/post/molly-dyer HSP info: hsperson.com Need some help dealing with burnout? Book a free call with Fried's host: Cait Donovan here: www.caitdonovan.as.me/free Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Sep 8, 2019 • 53min
Leah Steele: End Burnout While You're Still Working
Leah Steele's specialty is bringing you back from burnout while you're still in the situation that burnt you out in the first place. By teaching resilience, stress management with a dose of humor and a few swear words, Leah shows us what's really possible and how to create a life you love while living the life you have. She focuses on Imposter Syndrome and overwhelm and is a wizard at getting your to do list down to manageable. Show Notes: www.friedtheburnoutpodcast.com/post/leah-steele Leah's Resilience Academy: https://www.searchingforserenity.co.uk/theresilienceacademy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices


