
Show overview
Workday Playdate has been publishing since 2020, and across the 6 years since has built a catalogue of 399 episodes, alongside 21 trailers or bonus episodes. That works out to roughly 220 hours of audio in total. Releases follow a weekly cadence.
Episodes typically run twenty to thirty-five minutes — most land between 22 min and 45 min — though episode length varies meaningfully from one episode to the next. None of the episodes are flagged explicit by the publisher. It is catalogued as a EN-language Business show.
The show is actively publishing — the most recent episode landed 6 days ago, with 29 episodes already out so far this year. The busiest year was 2023, with 80 episodes published. Published by Passion Struck Network.
From the publisher
TOP 1% GLOBAL PODCAST for People-First Leaders Formerly the "improve it! Podcast." #9 in BEST 100 SELF LEADERSHIP PODCASTS. I’m Erin Diehl, keynote speaker, business improv edutainer, and founder of improve it! (AKA your work bestie). Every Wednesday, Workday Playdate with improve it! helps HR professionals, people leaders, and culture-driven humans bring more laughter, levity, and purpose to their workdays. Because work is better when you play. This is not your average leadership podcast. You’ll get research-backed strategies, improv-inspired tools, and candid conversations with top leaders, speakers, improvisers and authors who are rethinking how we work and lead. Our promise is to give you tangible takeaways you can use immediately, plus a few laughs along the way. Interested in partnering with us? Workday Playdate reaches thousands of people-first leaders who care about workplace culture, leadership, and team development. Contact [email protected] to learn more about sponsorship opportunities. We promise laughs, impact, and zero awkward small talk. Think ROI with a side of LOL’s. Let’s make it happen!
Latest Episodes
View all 399 episodes352: Burned Out and Overthinking? Try These Mindset Shifts
351: How to Challenge the Status Quo at Work Without Fear with Laurie Jadick
350: Fix Meetings With Focus, Flow, and Fewer Invites
349: How Small Joys Get Me Through the Chaos with Meredith Stepien
348: AI Anxiety at Work? Let’s Figure It Out Together
347: Why Failure Looks Different as You Grow with Kelly Burlage
346: Why Your Body Freaks First (and What Leaders Do Next) with Inna Segal
345: New Mom Confidence During Uncertain Seasons with Rosie Moan
344: Lead by Lifting Others (Not Your Title)
343: Why One-Off DEI Training Backfires with Lily Zheng
342: Human-First Leadership That Actually Works
341: Leadership in the AI Era: What Leaders Still Miss with Steve Cadigan
340: Stuck in Your Career? Let’s Get You What You Want
339: Innovation Without the Corporate Headache with Rich Braden & Tessa Forshaw
338: Your Energy at Work > Your To-Do List

Ep 337337: Overachievers, Pause! Process Before You Push
In this Workday Playdate, Erin sits down with Jane Chen to challenge the “always-on” mindset and invite overachievers into something radically different: pause, process, and thrive. Jane is a best-selling author, leadership coach, and social entrepreneur best known as the co-founder of Embrace Global.If you’ve been sprinting toward success at the cost of your well-being, this episode is your reminder that slowing down is exactly how you move forward with intention.Inside This Episode:Pause Before You Push: Why high achievers need to interrupt the cycle of constant doing to reconnect with themselves and avoid burnout.The Hidden Cost of Achievement: How chasing impact, success, and validation can quietly deplete your energy, identity, and joy.From Impact to Inner Work: Jane’s journey from building a global health company to finding healing through surfing, stillness, and self-reflection.Compassion Over Grit: Why resilience isn’t about pushing harder—it’s about practicing self-compassion and emotional awareness.Healing Is a Strategy: Exploring powerful modalities like internal family systems (IFS), therapy, and slowing down as tools for sustainable leadership.Letting Go of External Validation: Why chasing approval is a losing game—and how anchoring in your values creates lasting fulfillment.Ride the Wave: The ocean as a metaphor for life, timing, surrender, and trusting what you can’t control.Vulnerability = Strength: How embracing imperfection, fear, and faith can unlock confidence in leadership and public speaking.From Burnout to Breakthrough: Why moments of crisis or failure might actually be invitations to realign with your purpose.Joy Is Not Optional: How play, nature, and small daily moments of joy are essential for thriving at work and in life.Who This Episode Is For:Overachievers who are tired of running on emptyLeaders ready to trade burnout for sustainable successHR and people leaders focused on well-being and human-centered performanceHigh-performing parents and professionals seeking balance without guiltAnyone navigating burnout, identity shifts, or a season of rebuildingHumans who want to achieve and feel whole while doing itYour FreebieYou already have strengths that make you a powerful leader. But chances are, one of them is doing more heavy lifting than you realize.Enter your free resource: The Human Leadership Edge Quiz. In just 10 quick questions, you’ll discover the leadership strength that sets you apart in the age of AI and how to use it more intentionally with your team.Take the Human Leadership Edge Quiz here.And thank you to our sponsors Intuit Quickbooks Payroll. To learn more visit: https://quickbooks.intuit.com/workforce/Connect with Jane ChenJane’s LinkedInJane’s websiteJane’s book, Like a Wave We Break: A Memoir of Falling Apart and Finding Myself Connect with Erin Diehl x improve it!Leadership Playground online membership communityErin’s websiteErin’s InstagramErin’s TikTokErin’s LinkedInimprove it!’s websiteimprove it!’s InstagramSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Ep 336336: It’s Not That Serious: Play More
In this Workday Playdate, Erin flips the script on hustle culture with a bold reminder: it’s not that serious. If you’ve been stuck in overthinking, overworking, or over-perfecting, this episode is your permission slip to loosen your grip and lead with more play.Inside This Episode:Play is Strategic: Why true play fuels creativity, innovation, and better problem-solving at work.The Cost of Taking Work Too Seriously: How rigidity kills connection, limits ideas, and keeps teams stuck.Loosen Up to Level Up: Practical ways to bring more lightness, curiosity, and flexibility into your leadership style.Celebrate the Ridiculous: How “bad” or wild ideas often lead to breakthrough innovation.From Perfection to Experimentation: Letting go of fear and embracing messy, imperfect starts.The Daily Fun Check: One simple question—“Did I have fun today?”—that can transform your energy and performance.5 Ways to Play More (Starting Today): Notice, say yes, lower the stakes, invite others, celebrate ridiculousness.Who This Episode Is For:Leaders who want to boost creativity, engagement, and innovationHR and people leaders focused on human-centered workplacesHigh achievers ready to ditch perfectionism and unlock more joyTeams craving stronger connection and collaborationAnyone feeling stuck, burned out, or taking work way too seriouslyHumans who want to work better by playing moreYour Playdate PracticeSchedule 10 minutes of intentional play and watch what shifts in your mindset, creativity, and connection.Your FreebieYou already have strengths that make you a powerful leader. But chances are, one of them is doing more heavy lifting than you realize.Enter your free resource: The Human Leadership Edge Quiz. In just 10 quick questions, you’ll discover the leadership strength that sets you apart in the age of AI and how to use it more intentionally with your team.Take the Human Leadership Edge Quiz here.And thank you to our sponsors Intuit Quickbooks Payroll. To learn more visit: https://quickbooks.intuit.com/workforce/Connect with Erin Diehl x improve it!Leadership Playground online membership communityErin’s websiteErin’s InstagramErin’s TikTokErin’s LinkedInimprove it!’s websiteimprove it!’s InstagramSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Ep 335335: AI Tools: When HR Should Say Yes or Nope
In this Workday Playdate, Erin sits down with AI expert and trainer John Rood to tackle how to actually implement AI at work without breaking trust, compliance, or culture. If you’ve been overwhelmed by AI hype or unsure where to start, this episode gives you a clear, actionable path forward.Inside This Episode:AI at Work, the Reality Check: What organizations are actually doing with AI today and where most are getting it wrong.HR as AI Gatekeeper: How HR can lead the charge in building smart, scalable AI policies that fit your organization.Adopt Too Fast or Too Slow: The hidden risks on both ends of AI adoption and how to find the sweet spot.AI Literacy for Everyone: Why AI skills aren’t optional anymore and how to train teams from beginner to advanced.From Prompts to Productivity: How structured prompting unlocks real business value even for non-technical teams.Everyday AI Use Cases: From building PowerPoints to automating onboarding and internal research – what AI can actually offer you.Culture > Tools: Why experimentation, collaboration, and psychological safety determine whether AI succeeds or fails.The 3 AI Archetypes: How to engage early adopters, skeptics, and everyone in between.Red Flags to Watch: Shadow AI, data security risks, and governance gaps that can derail your strategy fast.Your First Steps: How to assess current AI usage, gather insights, and build a baseline policy that actually works.Who This Episode Is For:HR leaders navigating AI policy, compliance, and cultureSmall business owners ready to implement AI without the chaosPeople leaders balancing innovation with responsibilityTeams looking to boost productivity with practical AI useOrganizations that want to adopt AI without losing trustHumans who know AI is here and want to use it wiselyYour FreebieYou already have strengths that make you a powerful leader. But chances are, one of them is doing more heavy lifting than you realize.Enter your free resource: The Human Leadership Edge Quiz. In just 10 quick questions, you’ll discover the leadership strength that sets you apart in the age of AI and how to use it more intentionally with your team.Take the Human Leadership Edge Quiz here.Connect with John RoodJohn’s LinkedInJohn’s websiteConnect with Erin Diehl x improve it!Leadership Playground online membership communityErin’s websiteErin’s InstagramErin’s TikTokErin’s LinkedInimprove it!’s websiteimprove it!’s InstagramSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Ep 334334: Human Skills > AI: The Joy Advantage
In this Workday Playdate, Erin dives into a timely leadership truth: in a world obsessed with AI, your real competitive edge is your humanity. This episode unpacks why joy at work is fuel and how leaders who prioritize human connection, energy, and play are the ones building cultures that actually perform.If you’ve been wondering how to lead in an AI-driven workplace without losing the human spark, this episode is your playbook.Inside This Episode:Joy as a Performance Strategy: Why joy is a catalyst for productivity, creativity, and team engagement.Psychological Safety = Innovation: How feeling safe, seen, and energized unlocks experimentation, speaking up, and bold thinking.AI’s Role (and Limits): Where AI enhances efficiency and why it will never replace culture, connection, or leadership presence.The Joy Advantage: A fresh leadership framework for building high-performing, human-centered workplaces.Human Skills > AI Skills: Why communication, empathy, adaptability, and presence are becoming the ultimate power skills.Leadership Playground: The value of practicing leadership in real time through community, feedback, and play.Irreplaceably Human: How to stand out in a tech-saturated world by doubling down on what machines can’t replicate.Who This Episode Is For:Leaders navigating the rise of AI while protecting team cultureHigh performers who want to lead with energyPeople leaders focused on engagement, innovation, and retentionCoaches, facilitators, and culture builders shaping human-first workplacesHumans who want to future-proof their careers by becoming more humanYour Playdate PracticeBring one moment of intentional joy into your work. Whether that means celebrating someone publicly, asking one curious question, or pausing before you react, choose joyful presence over speed.Your FreebieYou already have strengths that make you a powerful leader. But chances are, one of them is doing more heavy lifting than you realize.Enter your free resource: The Human Leadership Edge Quiz. In just 10 quick questions, you’ll discover the leadership strength that sets you apart in the age of AI and how to use it more intentionally with your team.Take the Human Leadership Edge Quiz here.Connect with Erin Diehl x improve it!Leadership Playground online membership communityErin’s websiteErin’s InstagramErin’s TikTokErin’s LinkedInimprove it!’s websiteimprove it!’s InstagramSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Ep 333333: Is Your Unconscious Making You Sick? Here’s How to Heal with Dr. Moshe
In this Workday Playdate, Erin sits down with psychologist and author Dr. Moshe Frenkel to unpack a powerful truth many high-achieving leaders quietly wrestle with: the belief that their worth is conditional. Together, they explore how the emotional stories we form in childhood shape the way we show up at work, in relationships, and in leadership.Dr. Moshe shares a refreshing perspective on self-worth and the courage it takes to detach from limiting beliefs that no longer serve us. If you’ve ever felt like you needed to earn your value, this episode offers a liberating reframe.Because here’s the truth: who you are is already enough.Inside This Episode:Unconditional Self-Worth: Why your value is something you recognize rather than achieve. Dr. Moshe reframes the idea that we must prove our worth to feel loved, respected, or successful.The Childhood Blueprint: How early experiences of feeling unheard, unseen, or not fully loved shape the beliefs we carry into adulthood, leadership, and relationships.Conditional Love vs. Real Acceptance: The illusion many of us internalize—that love, approval, or belonging must be earned through performance.Limiting Beliefs in Leadership: How subconscious childhood narratives show up in the workplace as perfectionism, people-pleasing, imposter syndrome, and overachievement.Detach From Old Stories: Practical ways to identify and separate from the beliefs you absorbed growing up so they stop driving your adult decisions.Inner Healing as Leadership Work: Why self-awareness and emotional healing aren’t “soft skills”—they’re foundational leadership capabilities.Rewriting the Narrative: How recognizing your inherent worth can transform confidence, relationships, and the way you lead.From Proving to Being: What changes when leaders stop striving for validation and start operating from a place of internal security.Who This Episode Is For:Leaders working to untangle their relationship with self-worthHigh achievers who feel the pressure to constantly prove themselvesPeople navigating perfectionism, people-pleasing, or imposter syndromeCoaches, facilitators, and consultants who guide others through personal growthHumans ready to lead from authenticity rather than approvalYour FreebieYou already have strengths that make you a powerful leader. But chances are, one of them is doing more heavy lifting than you realize.Enter your free resource: The Human Leadership Edge Quiz. In just 10 quick questions, you’ll discover the leadership strength that sets you apart in the age of AI and how to use it more intentionally with your team.Take the Human Leadership Edge Quiz here.Connect with Dr. MosheDr. Moshe’s LinkedInDr. Moshe’s websiteThe Untethered Soul: The Journey Beyond Yourself by Michael A. SingerConnect with Erin Diehl x improve it!Erin’s websiteErin’s InstagramErin’s TikTokErin’s LinkedInimprove it!’s websiteimprove it!’s InstagramSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.