Work-Shaped Life

Episodes

5
June 8, 2026

Seeking balance at sea and on land | maritime engineer

Episode 5: Sam Stanton. What'd we talk about? Dropping out of college. Rehab. Port Townsend. Morning coffee on deck. Tinkering with things. Trade school. International travel. Leaning into your 20s. Tugboat cowboys in the oil patch. Sleep schedules. Chasing it hard. Lavender farming. Ferries. Going home at the end of a shift. Self employment. Tangerine orchards. Putting your job on the shelf. What is possible.
4
May 25, 2026

Reading, writing, speaking and listening with joy and engagement | literacy specialist

Episode 4: Jen Burkart. What'd we talk about? Literacy. Teaching. Dream jobs. Opportunity gaps. Chest puff-up moments. Raising multiple children. Supportive partners. Hobby time. Work clothes. Leadership books we've never read. Managing complex change. Finding focus. Allocating personal resources. The feeling of agency. Searching for Lake Michigan. Powell's circa 1998. Defining the outcome.
3
May 11, 2026

Getting people hired | executive recruiter

Episode 3: Katie Silver. What'd we talk about? Executive recruitment. Job seekers. Introverts. Closing a deal. Finding alignment with ethos and values. Enforcing work-life balance. Helping people get unstuck. Building a network. Growing your career. Understanding the market. The art of the possible. Coaching and mentoring. AI. Throwing your resume into the void. Curiosity. Doing more with less.
2
May 11, 2026

How to search for meaning without losing joy | college professor

Episode 2: David Gutterman. What'd we talk about? Intellectual and emotional capacity. What it is to be human. The liberal arts. Funeral dancing. Sustained community. Learning how to listen and be present. The time horizon. How to finish cooking half-baked ideas. Capitalist frameworks. Fear and powerlessness. Asking better questions. Kathryn Schulz. Changing your mind. Styles of learning.
1
May 11, 2026

An archeologist leaves the Pentagon | archeologist

Episode 1: Katie Fine. What'd we talk about? The Department of War. Evanston, Illinois. Forensic archeology. The Neolithic period in Greece. The job market. Coffee shop conversations at the Pentagon. Heated Rivalry. Tethers. Losing a parent. The Vietnam War. MIA POWs. Adventure. Loneliness. Research security. Career goals. Identity. Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor.
April 24, 2026

Work-Shaped Life Trailer

Work-Shaped Life is a podcast about what making a living makes of our lives.