Fast Company Daily
Fast Company
Stories, tips, and advice on how employees, managers, and businesses are working smarter, all from Fast Company and all in less than five minutes each weekday.
Episodes
Mentioned books
Feb 12, 2026 • 9min
Compulsive productivity is killing your rest. This is why
Many of us wear productivity like a badge of honor. But in the long term, this identity can end up hurting us. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Feb 11, 2026 • 8min
We’re all ‘time thieves’ at work. Is that really such a bad thing?
From long lunches to midday naps, ‘time theft’ is on the rise. Is it a productivity hack or a career risk? Experts break down the pandemic-era trend that’s become a mainstay. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Feb 10, 2026 • 8min
AI didn’t kill customer support. It’s rebuilding it
As AI absorbs routine tickets, support roles are shifting toward systems thinking, technical fluency, and human judgment at scale. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Feb 9, 2026 • 9min
Does your workplace look like this? If not, mothers may not want to work there
Discussion of how parental leave alone often fails to address the identity shift mothers experience when returning to work. Exploration of 'matrescence' and how brain and identity changes affect workplace needs. Conversation about gaps in employer support, practical ways to ease transitions, and how supporting mothers can retain talent and strengthen leadership.
Feb 6, 2026 • 7min
Why some jobs trigger old fears
Work moments can reactivate reflexive anxiety rooted in past career experiences. A story explores bodily fear despite clear success. Elite training and critique can hardwire overpreparation. Professional histories shape leadership habits and emotional reflexes. Curiosity and noticing reactions help leaders treat reflexes as information, not instruction.
Feb 5, 2026 • 11min
Companies replaced entry-level workers with AI. Now they are paying the price
Recent graduates are clearly not okay—but neither are the companies that decided they could do without them. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Feb 4, 2026 • 10min
The pros and cons of workplace perfectionism
They explore how traits like perfectionism can be virtues or liabilities depending on context. Ancient ideas about moderation are linked to modern science on trait extremes. Research separating striving from fear is discussed. Benefits like engagement and credibility are weighed against downsides such as burnout and toxic leadership. A flexible alternative called excellenceism is presented as a healthier approach.
Feb 3, 2026 • 11min
Why we need more older female role models at work
Women over 50—and especially over 60—are still dramatically underrepresented at the highest levels of visible power. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Feb 2, 2026 • 6min
In 2026, most workers are still languishing
A new study from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign finds that 61% of workers are—put simply—not thriving. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Jan 30, 2026 • 7min
From unemployed to self-employed: Why the switch is more common than ever
A path from repeated layoffs to launching a solo business and building income from content creation. Data on the rise of side gigs and the growing independent workforce. Recent grads turning to gig work amid weak hiring. Realistic trade offs of autonomy, variable pay, and lost benefits for self-employed workers.
