Imagine being in a baseball game and going up to bat without having a clue about the situation of the pitcher, the state of the team you’re facing, and what else is happening on the field as you approach the mound. If you did that, you’d risk getting smacked with a curve ball. Well, that’s what happened to us- not on a baseball diamond, but in the rooms where we play OUR ball games. We hope our stories will help you see the bigger game you’re always a part of, whether you realize it or not. That way you’ll hit the ball out of the park every time you’re at bat.

We’re trying a new segment called Hot Mic– where we’re just yackin’ and the tape keeps rolling. We’re talking about whatever’s on our mind at the moment. This time, we share our take on college admissions scandal, where fancy parents paid fancy $$ to falsify documents so their kids would get into fancy places. Spoiler alert: this ain’t just about the benjamins.

“I don’t hire positions. I hire athletes”- Bill Bowen, former President of Andrew W. Mellon Foundation and Rachel’s beloved mentor, etched these words on Rachel’s brain, and this episode pays it forward. What did he mean…and what does this mean for you? Hint: it’s not about sports. But you’ll need a hoist a pen to note the 5 qualities that will change your mindset about what you need to succeed (and what qualities you want on your team).

A new study is out that says most successful women surround themselves with just a few close women. We couldn’t help but wonder if this is true for us, and if it is….why is that? We have different answers from the study and arrive at a new strategy for how you should approach networking that could make all the difference to your success… and it’s not just for women.

All that meditation, mindful breathing and yoga you do isn’t actually helping you relax. Even mindless Netflix binging doesn’t do the trick. We’ll tell you why that is and what we’ve figured out about how to fix it! Spoiler alert: it’s all about listening to yourself before doing ANYTHING.

Have you heard of microdosing? It’s all the rage– the idea of taking teeny tiny doses of, shall we say substances, to make small shifts in your system that accumulate over time, to significant (positive) effect. We’ll let the medical experts explore all that, while Rachel and Suzanne take a look at applying the idea as a strategy in our personal and work lives to create changes in ourselves and others. Warning: this episode might mention illegal substances, horrifying behavior on tables at LPQ, and a whiskey so cult-like you won’t find it on the shelves. Welcome to The Big Payoff, 2019.

Last month Suzanne held “office hours” with a recent Kellogg MBA grad asking for advice on how to stand out meaningfully from her peers at work. The response to that episode was an overwhelming chorus of “TELL US WHAT HAPPENED!” Did she tell the story they uncovered? Did it go well? Is she the CEO yet? Not only do we have Kimberly Nelson’s full report for you, but this time, Rachel and Suzanne double team as they strategize for Kimberly’s next meeting with a very different audience. When they dig in even more, they discover a pretty memorable mantra that Rachel “JUST LOVES!”. You will too. Let us know if you want to make your own office hours appointment! Email info@bigpayoffradio.com

It’s that feeling you get when you’re way into something….and the other person just isn’t…or not that much. Maybe it’s a date. Or a job interview. Or you’re pitching some idea hard…and the heads just aren’t nodding. And you know what you do– you try harder! You can win them over! Or maybe you can bring them on board hoping that they’ll come around. Oh no you don’t. Not on our watch. Here’s what you’re doing: You are holding on the tail of a reluctant dragon. And here’s what we know (you’ll hear the ugly stories): you cannot slay a reluctant dragon. We’ll tell you what you can do– even when it’s your own reluctant tail you’re chasing.

This episode will breathe some fire into you.

Welcome to the first of our new feature, “Office Hours,” in which Rachel and Suzanne offer unscripted coaching to real live women in need of real-time advice. In this episode, we listen in on a conversation between Suzanne and Kimberly, a recent MBA graduate, who is asking how she can stand out from her peers at work in a very competitive environment. In a surprise twist near the end, Suzanne uncovers the ace up Kimberly’s sleeve that even Kimberly didn’t realize she had. Finding that meaningful and memorable personal brand narrative is what you’ll need to stand out and break through, so listen and learn! After you hear this, you will want to make your own office hours appointment (please do! Email info@bigpayoffradio.com)

We collaborate with others all the time, and more often that we want to admit, someone is doing more than their fair share of the work. If that’s you, raise your hand. We see you. And, we have a podcast episode for you. Rachel and Suzanne get to the bottom of why we tend to do this, and even air their therapy sessions in order to help all of us work and live better and smarter.