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.
- 1 weeks ago52 min
[Rebroadcast] Forget ROI: The Ethical Case for Org Design
Rebroadcast note: We're continuing to revisit Rodney and Sam's favorite episodes of their time together, and this one was a universal favorite. Most org design conversations get forced through a narrow funnel: prove the ROI, justify the spend, make the numbers work. But if work is something most people can’t opt out of—and where we spend a huge chunk of our attention and waking lives—then “it pays off” feels like a painfully small standard. This week, Rodney and Sam explore the ethical case for organizational design. They move beyond spreadsheets and profit metrics to ask bigger questions about leadership, power, transparency, compensation, and the human impact of broken systems. What do organizations owe the people who work inside them? Is better workplace design a moral responsibility — not just a financial strategy? Get the full transcript and all the links mentioned in this episode over on our website: https://www.theready.com/podcast/episodes/awwtr44-the-ethical-case-for-good-organizational-design -------------------------------- Ready to change your organization? Let's talk. Get our newsletter: Sign up here. Follow us: LinkedIn Instagram -------------------------------- 00:00 Check-In: What’s your energy like right now? 04:04 Why “good work” shouldn’t be judged by ROI 08:16 Why a “good” work experience is the exception, not the rule 10:06 Why protecting yourself isn’t “selling out” 15:41 How to spend your attention on what’s actually worthy 21:35 Why the power gap between leadership and workers is broken 27:31 Why ethically designed companies are rarely publicly traded 31:07 The principles and values behind ethical orgs 40:35 Why joy at work shouldn’t be nickeled and dimed 44:35 Idea 1: Don’t accept performative change initiatives 47:17 Idea 2: Audit your existing principles and values 48:35 Idea 3: Don’t let leadership gaslight you into conforming 50:33 Wrap up: Leave us a review and share the show with a friend Sound engineering and design by Taylor Marvin of Coupe Studios.
- 3 weeks ago49 min
[Rebroadcast] RACI is The Wrong Answer To The Right Question
Editor's note: While we're on hiatus we're revisiting some of Rodney and Sam's favorite episodes of the show, starting with this one about RACIs, and how other accountability matrices promise certainty they can never deliver and other ways to start thinking about accountability at work. Get all the links mentioned in this episode, and the full transcript here: https://www.theready.com/podcast/episodes/awwtr10-why-raci-doesnt-fix-decision-making-and-what-does? -------------------------------- 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.
- Oct 5, 202628 min
58. The One Where Sam Says Goodbye
We've spent the last few months talking about organizations that are built to benefit from change. But change gets extra hard when people leave, especially when that person is your friend and a big part of what makes a job worth getting up for in the morning. It’s hard to balance being happy for someone moving on to their shiny new thing and still grieve the hole they leave behind. Well, the same goes for podcasts and we're a bit in our feels today: after three years behind the mic, Sam has decided it's time to move on to new adventures. In this episode, Rodney and Sam throw a mini celebration for Sam's last episode as co-host: why now's the time, how the world of work has shifted during his run, a look back at a few of their favorite episodes, and what’s coming next for the show in 2027. Get all the links mentioned in this episode, and the full transcript here: https://www.theready.com/podcast/episodes/awwtr-58-sam-spurlin-final-episode -------------------------------- Ready to change your organization? Let's talk. Get our newsletter: Sign up here. Follow us: LinkedIn Instagram -------------------------------- 00:00 Intro + Check-In 04:08 Why now's the right moment for Sam to leave 08:55 Rodney and Sam's highlights from their years together 13:30 Rodney and Sam's all-time favorite episodes 17:28 Sam's parting thoughts and appreciation 20:30 How to stay in touch with Sam 22:52 Blooper reel Sound engineering and design by Taylor Marvin of Coupe Studios.
- Sep 28, 20269 min
AUA: How to Get Institutional Knowledge Out of People’s Heads
In some organizations, the knowledge isn't in a wiki or a handbook…it’s trapped in people's heads and travels by hallway storytelling. A listener wants to know: how do you build a culture of knowledge sharing and async communication in a place where writing things down has never been the norm? In this mini episode, Rodney and Sam dig into why the oral tradition persists. From the power dynamics of hoarding knowledge to the fear of having receipts for decisions that went sideways, they share examples of how to lower the cost of sharing until working in the open becomes the path of least resistance. Get the links mentioned in this episode and a full transcript here: https://www.theready.com/podcast/episodes/aua-how-to-get-institutional-knowledge-out-of-peoples-heads -------------------------------- 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.
- Sep 21, 202659 min
57. Your Company Wasn't Built to Grieve with Molly Graham
Organizations are absorbing more change than they were ever built for, and that change always comes with a lot of feelings. Whether it's a layoff, a reorg, a promotion, or handing off a project you built, we're constantly having to shed hopes and dreams and stability and start over. But most companies are built to avoid those feelings, not process them, so they just accumulate. Leaders skip straight to the "let's get excited about the future!" phase, everyone's feelings go underground, and teams get trapped in a game of pretend that grinds work to a halt. In this episode, Rodney sits down with Molly Graham, founder of Glue Club and host of TED's WorkLife, to crack open the chestnut of identity, change, and grief at work. They explore the consequences that come with fusing who we are with what we do, the unintentional harm caused by leaders who pretend everything's fine when it's not, and why every big change needs a "funeral" before everyone can finally move forward. Get all of Molly's links, references mentioned in this episode, and the full transcript here: https://www.theready.com/podcast/episodes/awwtr57-grief-identity-and-change-at-work-with-molly-graham -------------------------------- Ready to change your organization? Let's talk. Get our newsletter: Sign up here. Follow us: LinkedIn Instagram -------------------------------- 00:00 Intro + Check-In: What's a risk you took everyone thought was a bad idea? 04:08 How to handle the pressure of a big new Lego 08:40 How your identity gets fused with your job 12:24 How identity shifts across career phases 15:18 How capitalism fuses your work and your life 20:00 The fear-driven meta-narrative around AI 23:17 How we should actually be talking about AI at work 33:06 Why we're so bad at handling feelings and grief at work 40:47 Moving leaders from "shit umbrella" to "shit filter" 44:16 Why grief doesn't care about your deadlines 47:47 What responsibility do companies have for worker wellbeing? 52:05 Why the worker-employer contract is breaking Sound engineering and design by Taylor Marvin of Coupe Studios.
- Sep 14, 202614 min
AUA: How To Make the Hard Call and Shut Something Down
Every organization is postponing something painful they don’t want to face. The CEO’s strategy that’s stopped working, the layoffs that have become unavoidable, the promising prototype that’s not delivering results. But even when what has to be done is clear, nobody wants to be the one to be the one to do it. In this episode, Rodney and Sam respond to a listener asking about how companies can get better at ripping off the Bandaid. They explore ways to put a clock on hard decisions, shrinking the impact of the rip, and share an example of how The Ready has approached their own hard choices. Get the full transcript and resources mentioned in this episode here: https://www.theready.com/podcast/episodes/aua-how-to-make-the-hard-call-and-shut-something-down -------------------------------- 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.
- Sep 7, 202655 min
56. Your Strategy is a Work of Fiction
Once a year a small group goes offsite, argues for three days, and comes back with a deck. Goals get written. Functions map their OKRs to the slides. Then the market moves, and everybody spends the next eleven months executing against assumptions that stopped being true in February. Most people in the building read that document and can't find themselves anywhere in it, which is how a strategy quietly becomes a story about a company nobody actually works at. In this episode, Rodney Evans and Sam Rothkopf close out the “Built to Benefit From Change” arc with the piece that underpins everything. They make the case that strategy is what you're executing right now, sort out what belongs at each altitude of the organization, and walk through the four meetings that keep a strategy alive after the offsite ends. Get the full transcript and resources mentioned in this episode here: https://www.theready.com/podcast/episodes/awwtr56-your-strategy-is-a-work-of-fiction -------------------------------- Ready to change your organization? Let's talk. Get our newsletter: Sign up here. Follow us: LinkedIn Instagram -------------------------------- 00:00 Intro + Check-In: What's your favorite work of fiction? 04:38 Why strategy is cooking, not the recipe 10:08 Why strategy should read like nonfiction, not fiction 11:51 How much of your strategy should different levels understand? 16:38 Why strategy describes now, not a future plan 18:38 Where vision belongs if not in your strategy 22:23 Why strategy should keep changing, not stay stagnant 25:22 What's essential for a good strategy 32:37 The hard trade-offs hiding in your strategy 39:20 Why the strategy document should take 5% of your time 41:37 Strategy rhythm essential: Retrospectives 44:44 Strategy rhythm essential: Resource allocation meetings 48:05 Strategy rhythm essential: Prioritization meetings 50:06 Strategy rhythm essential: Decision meetings 52:01 Why new strategy execution takes time to pay off Sound engineering and design by Taylor Marvin of Coupe Studios.
- Aug 31, 20268 min
AUA: How Do Leaders Stop Being The Decision Bottleneck?
It happens gradually: a leader makes one call that should have been decided by one of their reports, then another, until the whole team has quietly stopped deciding anything without “checking in” first. By the time the bottleneck is discovered, it feels like just how things are now and any change feels uncomfortable for everyone. In this week’s AUA, Rodney and Sam answer a listener’s question about how to catch yourself before you become that bottleneck, navigating the discomfort when handing decision rights back to where they belong, and the “freedom and consequences” philosophy behind delegating tough choices. Get the full transcript and resources mentioned in this episode here: https://www.theready.com/podcast/episodes/aua-how-leaders-stop-being-the-decision-bottleneck -------------------------------- 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.
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.
Right About Now - Legendary Business Advice
Raw business insights from founders and industry leaders, revealing real wins, failures, and actionable strategies without the fluff.
Ready For Love with Hilary Silver
Examines self-trust, boundaries, and personal growth to help women lead from within and create intentional lives.
Your Brand Amplified
Explores the strategies and mindsets of successful entrepreneurs in business growth, marketing, and personal branding.
The Modern Manager
A manager shares practical tools and expert insights on leadership, feedback, delegation, and team culture.
HBR IdeaCast
Features leading thinkers in business and management discussing key ideas and trends.
As We Work
Practical career advice and workplace strategies from WSJ reporters and experts.
Strategy Meets Reality Podcast
Mike Jones
Business MVP
Athletes and sports entrepreneurs discuss how their experiences shape leadership, business, and community impact.
Becoming UnDone
Explores how high-achievers rebuild after hitting rock bottom, facing burnout, or losing their identity.
The Balanced, Beautiful and Abundant Show - Rebecca Whitman
A coach helps high-achieving women overcome burnout using a framework centered on spiritual, emotional, physical, and financial well-being.
One Part Lion - One Part Lamb with Stephen Scoggins
Leadership advice for founders balancing success, integrity, and faith through interviews with entrepreneurs.
The ONE Thing with Geoff Woods
Examines how high achievers prioritize one key task to excel in productivity, business, health, and habits.
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, any in the catalog. Basic raises that to 15, Pro to 40 and Max to 100. Browse our full catalog at /podcasts.
How often does At Work with The Ready release new episodes?
At Work with The Ready publishes weekly. Our AI generates a summary within hours of each new episode.
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.