ABOUT US
We're not here to fix you
We're here to fix the system
Circle Back Club was built by two people who got tired of pretending the emperor had clothes and found out they weren't alone.
THE ORIGIN
It started with a conversation we weren't supposed to have
Aparna and Lars found each other the way most real work friendships do — speaking on a panel about work. Thrown together by circumstance, kept together by something harder to name. Both good at their jobs, they were both deeply uncomfortable with what "good at their jobs" was costing them and the people around them.
So they started talking. Not the polished kind of talking that happens in all-hands meetings or on LinkedIn. The real kind — over coffee dates and walks — about the pit in your stomach on Sunday evenings, about performance reviews that said nothing, about the quiet toll of keeping your head down while things that shouldn't be happening kept happening.
They realized two things: they weren't alone. And if they were having this conversation, millions of other workers were too — in parking lots, in DMs, in the ten minutes before the next meeting.
Circle Back Club is what happens when you stop having that conversation in secret.
say what’s not said
〰️
care through collective action
〰️
take risks with others
〰️
share your resources
〰️
lead with humanity
〰️
your coworker is your coalition
〰️
build cross-class solidarity
〰️
say what’s not said 〰️ care through collective action 〰️ take risks with others 〰️ share your resources 〰️ lead with humanity 〰️ your coworker is your coalition 〰️ build cross-class solidarity 〰️
HOSTS
Meet Aparna & Lars
Aparna has spent her career at the intersection of technology, equity, and learning. She brings systems-level thinking that makes corporate euphemisms impossible to sit with, paired with a warmth that makes hard conversations feel like solidarity rather than indictment.
She a 3x award winning founder, and frequently speaks at HR conferences, Fortune 1000 ERGs, and philanthropic foundations — which means she's seen firsthand how the same talking points get recycled to protect the same structures. Circle Back Club is her answer to that.
Aparna's superpower on the show is naming the thing nobody in the room is naming and doing it with enough humor that you laugh before you wince.
APARNA RAE
Lars brings 15 years of experience in corporations bridging culture, engagement, and leadership development. They bring real workers’ stories and historically-grounded context with practical examples of how to move workplaces towards collective care.
They got here through witnessing a big gap: corporate workers were ignoring their body's signals about stress, disagreement, and the need for change. High-pressure environments created performative relationships and interpersonal harm. Societal trauma became something to manage rather than be felt. And the cost on people’s health was staggering.
Lars is a somatic coach and trains workers to develop embodied intelligence - a form of leadership that integrates physical, mental, and emotional awareness. Their delivery centers the belief that our workplaces should stand up for the dignity and care for all people and this beautiful planet.
LARS GALLIEN
WHAT WE BELIEVE
The principles we build on
You’re not lazy
01
If work feels wrong, that's data. We validate lived experience before we analyze it.
Solidarity over self-help
02
Individual optimization won't fix collective problems. The way out is together.
We name what's broken and offer real alternatives. Outrage without action isn't enough.
Builders, not cynics
03
Context is everything
04
Every workplace norm has a history. Understanding the system is how you change it.
Bring the Movement to Your World
WORK WITH US
Bring Us to Your Conference or Leadership Retreat
Keynote or panel moderation
Customized facilitated community experience
Onsite recording & live storytelling
Optional Social campaign 4–6 weeks pre & post-event
Sponsor & Platform Your Work
Brand integration in 1–4 episodes
30–60 sec sponsorship spot with script approval
Social mentions across Instagram, LinkedIn & newsletter
Post-campaign metrics report
