Free Daily Podcast Summary
At Work with The Ready: Daily Summaries Delivered
by Rodney Evans and Sam Spurlin
Rodney Evans and Sam Spurlin have helped teams around the world adopt more modern ways of working and on At Work with The Ready they’re sharing the inside scoop with you, too. Whether you’re struggling with a carousel of ineffective meetings, annual strategy sessions that go nowhere, or decision-making churn that never ceases, they’ve seen it all and are here to help. In each episode, they'll break down common workplace challenges and show you the moves—both big and small—to start making real, lasting change. (Formerly “Brave New Work” with Aaron Dignan and Rodney Evans)
Latest Episodes
The most recent episodes — sign up to get AI-powered summaries of each one.
- 5 days ago51 min
53. The Chief of Staff’s Real Job: Turning Strategy Into Action
If you hired a chief of staff to be your leadership team’s star athlete, don’t let them languish on the bench. At many organizations, chiefs of staff are meant to execute high-wire strategic work. But the job is often reduced to: glorified project management, executive cat-herding, and catering to the CEO’s whims. They compensate for bad work design through effort and influence, carrying big expectations with no real authority. In this episode, Rodney and guest co-host, Sam Rothkopf, lay out the first move toward becoming an organization built to benefit from change: Recharter your chief of staff as the leadership team's work designer. They dig into the three jobs most chiefs of staff currently hold; why the role should serve teams, not single leaders; and the authority they need to put business strategy into motion and free up executives to do the work only they can do. -------------------------------- Ready to change your organization? Let's talk. Get our newsletter: Sign up here. Follow us: LinkedIn Instagram -------------------------------- Mentioned references: Miraval Rosé Casamigos "built to benefit from change ep": AWWTR Ep. 52 "failure of the ways of working ep": AWWTR Ep. 50 Mia Wise 00:00 Intro + Check-In: Favorite Celebrity Endorsed Product 03:13 The chief of staff already exists, but does the wrong work 06:49 The chief of staff today: admin, project manager, influencer 11:02 Why chiefs of staff are prone to burnout 16:46 Chiefs of staff are everywhere in tech orgs, with no power 22:26 The reframe: serving the team, not the leader 25:44 Building your “shelves” 28:57 Operationalizing strategy, for real 32:47 Playing “favorites’ around who is leading the strategy 37:21 The CEO's first hire 42:07 The authority the role actually needs 46:07 Tooling, comms, and where the team does its work 49:17 Wrap: more moves next week Sound engineering and design by Taylor Marvin of Coupe Studios.
- 1 weeks ago9 min
AUA: When Do Well-Meaning Checklists Turn Into Compliance Theater?
Every org has process that started as protection and calcified into performance: boxes we check to prove nothing bad happened, rather than to help good work happen. In this mini episode, Rodney and Sam respond to a listener trying to resist the "checklistification" of their org. They draw a line where good checklists turn bad and explore the limits for what checklists can—and can't—solve in your team's Twilight Zone. -------------------------------- Ready to change your organization? Let's talk! Get our newsletter: Sign up here. Follow us: LinkedIn Instagram Mentioned references: "Sunshine and Twilight Zones": The Ready's Depthfinding Atul Hawande, author of The Checklist Manifesto complicated vs complex MECE (Mutually Exclusive, Completely Exhaustive) Sound engineering and design by Taylor Marvin of Coupe Studios.
- 2 weeks ago50 min
52. Welcome to the Liminal Space (Buckle Up!)
Volatility is just the new normal, and it's crushed everyone's appetite for complexity at the exact moment complexity demands attention. Executives who used to love a whiteboard now say "just tell me the answer." Five-year plans read as fiction within months. Employees trust leadership less than ever and with AI in the mix the old moats (talent, pricing, product, position) are eroding or gone. So what's left? In this episode, Rodney sits down with Sam Rothkopf, co-steward of The Ready, to lay out the firm's new thesis: durable competitive advantage is the ability to execute in complexity, and the organizations that win will be the ones built to benefit from change. They get into why discernment beats endless experimentation, why execution is strategy now, and what it looks like when a company gets it right. -------------------------------- Ready to change your organization? Let's talk. Get our newsletter: Sign up here. Follow us: LinkedIn Instagram -------------------------------- Mentioned references: Sam Rothkopf "stewardship": Miniseries episode Jon Roth Sky & Depthfinding IKEA's AI and virtual design transformation "Transfo A and Transfo B": AWWTR Ep. 43 "Action Meetings": BNW Ep. 80 with Sam Spurlin 00:00 Intro and Check-In: what have you completely changed your mind about? 05:09 The moment: volatility has killed our appetite for complexity 06:39 "Just tell me the answer" 09:30 AI speeds you up, but doesn’t change your direction 12:54 The old playbooks are defunct and leadership trust is at an all time low 17:41 Built to benefit from change is the future 21:42 Experimenting that leads to new outcomes 23:48 Finding your business’ spark 27:16 Example: IKEA finding their spark 30:44 Finding your spark doesn’t have to be a journey 37:04 Where The Ready’s thinking has evolved 38:00 What "execution is strategy" actually means 42:00 Treat volatility as a resource + the transfo A/B conversation 43:34 Sam’s disposition towards change and volatility 47:16 The inner work: creativity needs a grounded self 48:00 Wrap up—Leave us a review Sound engineering and design by Taylor Marvin of Coupe Studios.
- 3 weeks ago7 min
AUA: How Do You Tell Leadership The Truth Without Getting Fired?
You can see it clearly: the project is FUBAR, the reporting is rosy, and the people with the power to do something about it are several levels above you. But sending a flare up the chain feels risky—especially when your boss's boss's boss is the one you need to reach. So what do you actually do? In this mini episode, Rodney and Sam respond to a listener stuck in that exact spot and offer a few moves that don't involve career-ending emails or anonymous screeds nailed to the CEO's door, and explore whether you can quietly reshape the data story being told upstream in a way that's helpful rather than accusatory. -------------------------------- Ready to change your organization? Let's talk! Get our newsletter: Sign up here. Follow us: LinkedIn Instagram Sound engineering and design by Taylor Marvin of Coupe Studios.
- Jun 29, 202652 min
51. It's Time, Babe: How to Know When to Leave Your Job
Everyone tells you leaving a job is a math problem: runway, comp, the next offer, the spreadsheet that finally tips. But most people who ask "how do I know when it's time?" have already answered the question. They just haven't let themselves hear it yet. In this episode, Rodney and Sam get personal, both are in the middle of their own transitions, and unpack what it actually takes to leave well. They dig into the difference between the best days, the worst days, and the average day that actually tells you the truth; why your body tends to figure it out long before your brain does; and why leaving of your own volition is often better for your mental health than running out the clock. -------------------------------- Ready to change your organization? Let's talk. Get our newsletter: Sign up here. Follow us: LinkedIn Instagram -------------------------------- Mentioned references: Sky and Midnight Zones "layoffs episode": BNW Ep. 152 EOT (Employee-Owned Trust) "ways of working episode": AWWTR Ep. 50 Dual Transformation: AWWTR Ep. 43 "Gareth": BNW Ep. 5 with Dr. Gareth Holman FIRE (Financially Independent, Retire Early) "10% of Americans don't have enough food" Sound engineering and design by Taylor Marvin of Coupe Studios.
- Jun 22, 20268 min
AUA: How Do You Make Employee Ownership Actually Feel Real?
Plenty of companies make the move to employee ownership—ESOPs, EOTs, buyouts—and then wonder why nothing really changes. The shares transfer, the announcement goes out, and then... people still feel like employees. The ownership is technically there, but the culture hasn't caught up. In this mini episode, Rodney and Sam respond to a listener who's seen this gap firsthand and wants to know which parts of the operating system to examine first. Drawing heavily from The Ready's own experience as an EOT, Rodney and Sam make the case that ownership culture lives in three places most companies underinvest in and why checks and balances between long-term purpose and short-term operations are the structural move that makes distributed power meaningful. -------------------------------- Ready to change your organization? Let's talk! Get our newsletter: Sign up here. Follow us: LinkedIn Instagram -------------------------------- Mentioned references: ESOP (Employee Stock Ownership Plan) EOT (Employee Owned Trust) The Ready's EOT transition The Ready's OS Canvas Sound engineering and design by Taylor Marvin of Coupe Studios.
- Jun 15, 202651 min
50. The Ways of Working Movement Failed. Now What?
Fifteen years ago, the future of work seemed inevitable: bureaucracy was crumbling, adaptive organizations were the next default, and a whole movement of practitioners was going to get us there. That future never arrived. Agile transformation offices are being eliminated, the pendulum has swung hard back to command-and-control, and the companies we held up as proof are still the exceptions, not the rule. This week, Rodney and Sam take an honest look at the failure of the ways of working movement, including their own part in it. They dig into the mismatches that doomed so much of this work and get practical about what still works—because while the movement may have stalled, the moves still matter. -------------------------------- Ready to change your organization? Let's talk. Get our newsletter: Sign up here. Follow us: LinkedIn Instagram -------------------------------- Mentioned references: Bradlees Twilight and Sunshine Zone Buurtzorg Morning Star: BNW Ep. 54 with Doug Kirkpatrick Haier "Bayer under Bill": BNW Ep. 68 with Bill Anderson Mary Parker Follett org debt: FOHR Miniseries action meeting: BNW Ep. 80 strategy stack: AWWTR EP. 2 op rhythm: BNW Ep. 118 00:00 Intro + Check-in: Your first music purchase with your own money? 05:18 The failure of the new ways of working movement 07:54 What we mean by "failure" 11:08 ZIRP, COVID, and the swing back to command-and-control 15:27 What people will buy isn’t actually what they need 17:30 Selling Sunshine Zone products for Twilight Zone work 20:12 Bottoms-up to a fault 25:01 Nobody has capacity to learn anymore 28:11 Tennis vs. golf: the new consulting posture 35:23 Is local change worth it? 38:42 Failure of the movement, not the moves 40:34 Change #1 - Go deeper 42:49 Change #2 - Orient to the outcome 44:47 Change #3 - Branching roadmaps and scenario planning 46:15 Change #4 - Build organizations that benefit from change 49:15 The End Sound engineering and design by Taylor Marvin of Coupe Studios.
- Jun 8, 20267 min
AUA: Is Real Change Possible Inside Federal Bureaucracy?
Most of the conversation about the future of work is aimed squarely at the corporate sector—growth engines, dual transformation, quarterly targets. But what if your organization exists to regulate, administer, and serve the public? What if the purpose isn't changing, and innovation of the underlying mission isn't really on the table? In this mini episode, Rodney and Sam respond to an internal consultant at a large federal agency who's wondering how much of the podcast's advice actually translates to their world. The answer: more than you'd think. -------------------------------- Ready to change your organization? Let's talk! Get our newsletter: Sign up here. Follow us: LinkedIn Instagram -------------------------------- Mentioned references: The Ready's OS Canvas "Dual Transformation episode": AWWTR Ep. 43 "org debt" "user centered design": AWWTR Ep 42, Skill 2 Sound engineering and design by Taylor Marvin of Coupe Studios.
Get At Work with The Ready summaries in your inbox
Free AI-powered daily recaps. Key takeaways, quotes, and mentions — in a 5-minute read.
Get Free Summaries →Free forever for up to 3 podcasts. No credit card required.
You Might Also Like
Listeners also like.
As We Work
Practical career advice and workplace strategies from WSJ reporters and experts.
Right About Now - Legendary Business Advice
Real talk from business founders and entrepreneurs about building companies, lessons learned, and what actually works in real-world ventures.
The Secret To Success with CJ, Karl, Jemal & Eric Thomas
A no-nonsense podcast on mindset, money, and execution featuring real strategies from top performers on winning in life and business.
We Fixed It, You're Welcome
A panel debates real corporate crises, proposing solutions for well-known companies and then evaluating their own advice.
Ones Ready
Former Air Force Special Warfare operators share training, nutrition, recovery, and mindset practices for aspiring special operators.
Becoming UnDone with Dr. Toby Brooks
Explores how high-achievers rebuild after hitting rock bottom, facing burnout, or losing their identity.
The ONE Thing with Geoff Woods
Examines how high achievers prioritize one key task to excel in productivity, business, health, and habits.
The Learning Leader Show With Ryan Hawk
Conversations with top leaders across industries exploring how continuous learning drives success.
Total Disruption Podcast
Entrepreneurs share strategies and mindset shifts to help founders grow businesses and avoid burnout.
The Jamie Kern Lima Show
Jamie Kern Lima discusses self-belief, personal growth, and her journey from struggling waitress to entrepreneur.
ReThinking
Adam Grant explores how top thinkers and leaders rethink their assumptions through candid conversations that reveal surprising insights.
A Bit of Optimism
Conversations with thinkers and doers exploring what drives purpose, growth, and meaning in life.
About At Work with The Ready
Rodney Evans and Sam Spurlin have helped teams around the world adopt more modern ways of working and on At Work with The Ready they’re sharing the inside scoop with you, too. Whether you’re struggling with a carousel of ineffective meetings, annual strategy sessions that go nowhere, or decision-making churn that never ceases, they’ve seen it all and are here to help. In each episode, they'll break down common workplace challenges and show you the moves—both big and small—to start making real, lasting change. (Formerly “Brave New Work” with Aaron Dignan and Rodney Evans)
Customized Recaps
AI-powered recaps with compact key takeaways, quotes, and insights.
Straight to Your Inbox
Get key takeaways from At Work with The Ready in a 5-minute read.
Save Hours Every Week
Stay current on your favorite podcasts without falling behind.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Podzilla's At Work with The Ready daily summary?
It's a free AI-powered email that summarizes new episodes of At Work with The Ready as soon as they're published. You get the key takeaways, notable quotes, and links & mentions — all in a quick read.
How does the At Work with The Ready podcast summary work?
When a new episode drops, our AI transcribes and analyzes it, then generates a personalized summary tailored to your interests and profession. It's delivered to your inbox every morning.
Is this an official At Work with The Ready product?
No. Podzilla is an independent service that summarizes publicly available podcast content. We're not affiliated with or endorsed by Rodney Evans and Sam Spurlin.
Can I get summaries of other podcasts too?
Absolutely! The free plan covers up to 3 podcasts. Upgrade to Pro for 15, or Premium for 50. Browse our full catalog at /podcasts.
What topics does At Work with The Ready cover?
At Work with The Ready covers topics including Business. Our AI identifies the specific themes in each episode and highlights what matters most to you.
Start getting At Work with The Ready summaries tomorrow morning.
Free forever for up to 3 podcasts. No credit card required.
Free forever for up to 3 podcasts. No credit card required.