Ep. 12 Reclaiming Dignity
What is dignity at work? In our season finale, we define dignity as an inherent baseline of human agency and choice that cannot be earned or managed. Reclaiming workplace dignity requires strict structural analysis, organizational transparency, and a rejection of individualized compliance.
Ep. 11 Are We the Problem?
Analyze the hidden contradictions of the white-collar workforce in this solo episode of the Circle Back Club podcast. Hosts Aparna Rae and Lars Gallien dive into symbolic capitalism and the professional managerial class (PMC) to reveal how performative "goodness" and language policing are often deployed to protect personal comfort while avoiding real structural economic change.
Ep. 10 Wellness Theater
Examine the reality of the $60 billion workplace wellness industry with HR insider Hebba Youssef on the Circle Back Club podcast. Hosts Lars Gallien and Aparna Rae break down corporate compliance theater, the failures of standard Employee Assistance Programs (EAPs), and how to push past point solutions to address systemic workplace depression.
Ep. 9 Breaking Corporate Isolation
Join the Circle Back Club for a deep dive into cross-class solidarity and corporate isolation with Glenn Block and Abdo Mohamed. Learn how tech workers are organizing against "Azure for Apartheid," the impact of AI on global harm, and why building relationships with coworkers across socioeconomic lines is the ultimate tool for workplace liberation.
Ep. 8 The self advocacy trap
Technologist Hala Saleh joins the Circle Back Club to discuss why self-advocacy and the "Girl Boss" playbook aren't enough to fix toxic workplaces. Discover how mutual aid and collective reciprocity can disrupt corporate hierarchies and provide a survival strategy for marginalized workers.
Ep. 7 Your Body KNows
Master Somatic Coach Giulio Brunini joins the Circle Back Club to explore how embodied leadership can prevent burnout and improve decision-making. Learn why overriding physical signals like chronic pain and panic attacks is a "numbing" strategy that ultimately costs leaders their creativity and trust.
Ep. 6 Psychosocial Hazards
Explore the reality of psychosocial hazards at work with Dr. Nicole DeKay. Learn why U.S. labor rights rank near the bottom globally and how the "Vitality Curve" management style creates documented psychological harm. We break down the systemic causes of burnout, workplace depression, and complex trauma.
Ep. 5 The Ideal Worker
Aparna and Lars are joined by organizational consultant Valarie Williams to dismantle the "Ideal Worker" myth. A set of persistent corporate beliefs that the perfect employee has no life, no caregiving responsibilities, and zero physical or mental health needs. We dive into the "Anxious Achiever" phenomenon, the rise of zero-employee startup goals in Silicon Valley, and why the tech industry treats 2-hour shuttle commutes as on-the-job time. This conversation goes beyond work-life balance to interrogate of how capitalism is modeling the "ideal" after a robot and what happens to our humanity when we try to compete with an algorithm.
Ep. 4 The Social Contract
Explore the hidden unwritten rules of the office with Aparna, Lars, and Leilani Lewis. We break down the "psychological contracts" that demand your silence and performative loyalty. Learn how to reclaim your dignity and rebuild collective power at work.
EP. 3 Fear of losing it all
We often trade our values for a steady paycheck, but is the "deal" actually protecting you back? Dr. Dalya Perez joins the club to expose how corporate structures reward silence and punish humanity. We discuss the "pseudo-therapy" of DEI , the exploitation of competition , and how to move from a scarcity mindset to collective liberation.
EP. 2 Who built this
Why does modern work feel like a relentless performance? To understand the "ick" of the current corporate landscape, we have to look back at the deliberate systemic shifts of the 1970s. In this episode, Aparna Rae and Lars Gallian are joined by Bachul Koul—a seasoned finance and private equity leader who has spent over 25 years navigating the world’s most traditional institutions. Together, they deconstruct the history that transformed the "social contract" of the American workplace.
Ep. 1 The Ick
What White Collar Work Is Actually Doing to Us
You're not burned out because you're weak — you're burned out because the system was designed this way.This isn't a self-help episode. It's a reality check — and the beginning of something better.