In this timely and compassionate episode of The Workplace Therapy Podcast, Scott Arrieta and co-host Dr. Sarah Gould sit down with Anna Pinkerton, a world-renowned trauma specialist and founder of Kindness Informed Leadership. With over 30 years of clinical experience, Anna brings deep insight into the psychological toll of chronic stress, burnout, and trauma in leadership—and how kindness isn’t a weakness but a revolutionary act of resilience.

Together, they explore:

• How untreated trauma shows up in leadership

• The signs of chronic stress and early-stage burnout

• Why traditional productivity-driven cultures are breaking people

• The false dichotomy between kindness and accountability

• Practical frameworks for healing and supporting ourselves and our teams

• The power of vulnerability, presence, and emotional regulation in high-stakes environments

Anna’s message is clear: Kindness is not about being nice—it’s about being brave, present, and connected. This episode is a must-listen for anyone in leadership who wants to build a culture that sustains people, not just profits.

In this heartfelt and thought-provoking episode of The Workplace Therapy Podcast, host Scott Arrieta sits down with Marcia Donziger, founder and CEO of Vital Biz Consulting, to explore how workplace culture can be both a healing force and a strategic driver of business results.

Marcia shares her personal journey—from being diagnosed with ovarian cancer in her 20s to founding MyLifeLine, a nonprofit that helped cancer patients stay connected with their support networks. She later transitioned into organizational consulting, driven by her belief that care, connection, and trust are essential for people and companies to thrive.

Together, Scott and Marcia unpack:

• The Culture CARES framework (Commitment, Appreciation, Respect, Engagement, and Safety)

• Why psychological safety and trust are the foundation of high-performing teams

• How to transform culture one business unit at a time, even without executive buy-in

• The emotional and strategic impacts of mass layoffs—and how to navigate them with humanity

• Why employee experience is not a soft skill—but a business driver

• The role of leaders as culture carriers and examples of real-world impact

Listeners will walk away with a renewed sense of what's possible when organizations make care a cornerstone of their leadership strategy.

The most valuable lessons about business and leadership are not learned in the classroom. When it comes to developing the next generation of high-impact leaders, there is simply no substitute for experience and mentorship. On this week's episode of The Workplace Therapy Podcast, our guest Candice Seiger gives us a healthy dose of both.

Candice is a seasoned strategy and operations executive who has worked for major brands like Carnival, Hyatt and AAA. She currently sits on the board for American Public Television and holds an MBA from Duke University’s Fuqua School of Business. In this week's episode, Candice shares the four essential ingredients to her success as a leader and offers advice to deveoping leaders on how to scale their impact by focusing on what matters most - the people.