Crina and Kirsten Get to Work
Self-Improvement
About
We have one single mission: Help women find ease, meaning and joy at work and in life. We use our experiences as business owners, entrepreneurs, mentors and inspirational leaders to explore topics that all working women care about: shitty bosses; smashing the patriarchy; balancing work and life; navigating change and getting what you want! We guarantee that you will be entertained and inspired... promise!
Episodes
- Finding Your Thing (When Nothing Feels Clear)
Congratulations, job seekers, new workers and soon-to-be-graduates—and also, buckle up - it is a bumpy ride. That’s the vibe of early career life right now: a job market that’s technically fine (about 4% unemployment), but feels… not fine.…
- Small Conversations, Big Impact: Check-ins Matter
Check-ins are where management actually happens—and in this episode checkins are given the status they deserve - at the center of performance, trust, and retention. Drawing on research, including insights from Harvard Business Review, our…
- The Ambition Gap is Bullshit--And We're Not Buying It
In this episode, Crina and Kirsten take on the so-called “ambition gap”—and promptly flip it on its head. Spoiler: women aren’t less ambitious. The system just hasn’t been built to recognize, support, or reward their ambition in the same w…
- Strategic Defiance at Work: It's Not About Being Difficult —It’s About Being Aligned
What if the most powerful leadership move isn't agreement—it's a principled "no"? Sunita Sah redefines defiance as quiet integrity: acting on your values when pressure pulls you off course. Join us as we unpack to spot ethical tension earl…
- The Broken Rung Strikes Again (and Women Are Done)
This week on “Crina and Kirsten Get to Work”, we dig into the 2025 *Women in the Workplace* report—the largest study of women in corporate America, spanning 280+ companies and over 1 million employees—and ask a hard question: what happens…
- Performance Improvement Plans: Path to Progress or Paper Trail of Pain? (Part Two)
In this episode of Crina and Kirsten Get to Work, our hosts tackle part two of Performance Improvement Plans (“PIPs”) from the employees perspective. A PIP, to remind listeners, is still the same document—written performance gaps, expectat…
- Performance Improvement Plans: Path to Progress or Paper Trail of Pain? (Part One)
In this episode of Crina and Kirsten Get to Work, our hosts consider the Performance Improvement Plans (“PIPs”) from the management perspective. This is the first of two episodes on PIPs. The second part will cover PIPs from the employee’s…
- When Nice is Not Kind (nor Effective)
Consider the dark side of niceness: the kind that smiles, nods, and says “Great job!” while anxiety and avoidance hums underneath and the real issues never see daylight. Social psychologist Tessa West considered anxious niceness —when poli…
- Seven Ways Your Thoughts are Distorting Your Emotions--And What To Do About It
Emotions are not simple cause-and-effect reactions to events, but responses filtered through the stories your mind tells. Your thoughts act as a middleperson between what happens and how you feel, which means distorted thinking can create…
- Self-Diagnosis Check-In: Thoughtful (and fun!) Questions for a Joyful Work Year Ahead
Ditch the stiff year-end reviews—Crina and Kirsten grab the NYT’s “7 Reflection Questions for a Happier New Year” and remix it for work with fun and honesty. Our hosts turn the New Year’s reflection into a playful self-diagnosis for work,…
- Needy, Checked Out, or Defensive? Rethinking Behavior at Work
When the stakes are high and expectations are muddy, even the most competent humans can slip into self‑protection mode at work. Deadlines, performance reviews, politics, and power dynamics can echo earlier experiences of exclusion or dange…
- Celebrate! It's Transformative, Fun and Uplifting!
Celebrations are powerful cultural signals. What we choose to mark, elevate, and honor tells people what truly matters in an organization. Nearly every cultural or religious tradition celebrates something this time of year, reminding us th…
- How to Know a Person-An Exploration of Seeing and Being Seen (Part 2)
Here’s part two of the discussion about David Brooks’s book, How to Know a Person. Brooks’ book addresses topics and ideas central to being human - and are maybe more relevant to the workplace - which is a ready made community to apply the…
- How to Know a Person-An Exploration of Seeing and Being Seen (Part 1)
David Brooks’s How to Know a Person addresses topics and ideas central to being human - and are maybe more relevant to the workplace. Brooks suggests that the ability to see others deeply—and to allow ourselves to be deeply seen—is essenti…
- Two Jobs, One Life: The Rise of Moonlighting for Women at Work
In 2025, a record number of Americans—8.5 million—are working two jobs. This surge in “moonlighting” is presenting new challenges for employers and creating big impacts - good and bad for employees. While some workers seek extra income to…
- Protect Your Mental Health: Navigating Stress in Turbulent Times
Feeling drained by Monday? Wondering how you'll survive the week? You're not alone! In this episode of *Crina and Kirsten Get to Work,* we tackle the mental health struggles that weigh us down amid today’s chaotic landscape. From political…
- Flipping the Script: Unlocking Potential Through Reverse Mentoring
Reverse mentoring flips the script, pairing ambitious younger employees with seasoned leaders to share insights on today’s hot topics, from tech trends to leadership styles. First popularized by Jack Welch at GE in the '90s, it’s now a str…
- Pay Attention--The Critical Role of Observation at Work
In the fast-paced world of work, the simple act of observation is often overlooked—yet it offers a real and measurable edge. Research shows that the ability to “read the room,” such as recognizing emotions in others’ faces and voices, prov…
- The Leap into Leadership: It's Not Just a Scaled-Up Version of Your Current Job
The transition to a leadership role is a significant and often challenging shift. Research shows that over 60% of new managers fail to make this transition effectively. This is largely because leadership is not simply a scaled-up version o…
- You Need This! A Playbook for High Performing Teams
For most of us, workplace engagement isn’t a solo sport—it’s a team one. The ADP (yes, the payroll people) Research Institute’s study across 19 countries found that most of us, regardless of company size, are immersed in team life. In comp…
- Let it Go: a Riff on Performance Reviews
The review process is in general not great. Research says only 21% of your review reflects your actual performance. The other 79%? Reviewer preferences, interpretation differences, and who happened to see you shine—or not. One person’s “ex…
- Balancing Act: The Fine Line Between Vulnerability and Oversharing at Work
While openness can build trust, there's a fine line between “vulnerable” and “uh-oh.” Brené Brown, the goddess, says oversharing isn’t true vulnerability—it can actually result in disconnection, distrust, and disengagement. So why do we ov…
- Joy For You and Me!
Joy! Joy! Joy! SHOW NOTES Let’s start with a clarification: happiness and joy are not identical twins. Happiness is that bubbly high you get from winning a raffle or finding a parking spot downtown—it’s external, fleeting, like confetti in…
- Assertive Communication - Clear, Confident and Calm
It’s time to focus on the often-misunderstood art of assertiveness—what it is, what it isn’t, and how learning to speak up for yourself with clarity and respect, which can change your life! Whether it’s Crina telling it like it is or just…
- The Power of Being Seen at Work: Mattering Matters
“Mattering,” is one of the most underrated superpowers in the workplace!. Not "I got a cupcake on my work anniversary" mattering—but the real, gut-level kind where you feel seen, valued, and essential. Turns out, this isn't fluff. Accordin…
- The Paper Ceiling - Another One to Shatter
There’s a persistent and punishing myth out there: that a college degree is the only ticket to a good life. Spoiler alert—it’s not. And the people hit hardest by this myth? Women without degrees, especially women of color, who are holding…
- The Journey to Authentic Leadership: Your Story Matters
Trust in leadership is eroding, with only about one in five employees reporting confidence in their leaders (Gallup, 2023). What’s going wrong—and more importantly, what does it take to lead in a way that earns trust? The answer to this qu…
- The Art of Pausing: Finding Freedom from Hustle Culture
If you're powering through your day like a caffeine-fueled robot with no off switch— stop. Your brain and body are not machines. We are more like rechargeable batteries, but we need to recharge. On this episode of Crina and Kirsten Get to…
- The Four Day Work Week - When Less is . . . Complicated
Buckle up buttercups, we're diving into the panacea or peril of the four-day workweek. As always, we get to use our critical minds and decide for ourselves. SHOW NOTES The five-day workweek is one of the the results of worker safer reforms…
- Working Yourself Sick? You Might Be Surprised By The Answer!
We all know that our jobs can impact our health: from sleepless nights to skipped meals, your job can take it’s toll. But research shows us that the cumulative impacts of these offenses might be harming you more than you think. SHOW NOTES…
- Mind Your Money: Women, Wealth & Investing Like a Boss
Today on Crina and Kirsten Get to Work, our hosts have “ the talk” —no, not that one. We’re talking money—earning it, saving it, investing it, and, most importantly, not stressing ourselves into a financial spiral. While our dynamic duo ar…
- From Perception to Position: Building Your Workplace Status
Status and power are major players in our work life and understanding how each works and how each can create more ease, meaning and joy in our work lives is a game changer. SHOW NOTES Status is everywhere, whether we acknowledge it or not.…
- Women at Work: Ten Years of Data (Spoiler Alert...It Aint Pretty)
Happy 10th anniversary to the McKinsey & Leanin “Women in the Workplace” report! This is the largest study on the state of women in corporate America, and a bit of a tough pill to swallow as the authors analyze data from the past decade to…
- The "NO" Challenge: Making Bold Asks, and Aiming For Rejection
Today on Crina and Kirsten Get to Work our badass duo gets up close and personal with an exercise created by social scientist, author and speaker Alison Fragale. Fragale has written a great book, How to be a Likeable Badass. Fragale sugges…
- Hope and High Performance: the Go Getter for Change
Hope is often dismissed as fluffy sentiment, but is actually a powerhouse for transformation—especially in the workplace. Unlike optimism, which passively assumes everything will turn out fine, hope is active, intentional, and rooted in th…
- The "M" Word: Ahem...We're Talking About Menopause at Work
In this episode of Crina and Kirsten Get to Work our hosts consider the silent exclusively female workplace challenge - menopause. Menopause affects over 1 million women in the U.S. annually. Nearly 20% of all women are grappling with its…
- Happy New Year! Unexpected Appreciation, Connection and Experimentation in 2025
We acknowledge many of us enter this new year with some uncertainty - and maybe even some fear. Some of us are just depleted. As we go into 2025, we need to care for ourselves and each other, preserve our sanity and focus our energy. Janua…
- Contagious Positive Energy: The Rocket Fuel of Great Leaders
Contagious Positive Energy: The Rocket Fuel of Great Leaders Let’s talk about relational energy and why it’s a game-changer for organizations! With new books bursting onto the scene every year, it's like rummaging through a treasure trove…
- The Power Of Your Purse: Using Your Economic Force To Support Women
Women are responsible for over 85% of consumer spending. Not only do we buy for ourselves, but we purchase for everyone else in the house! (Don’t get us started on the burden that represents). Why not consider using your economic power to…
- Indecisive Bosses Who Jerk You Around: Stop Changing Your Mind, Already!
In this episode, we embark on a catharsis regarding bosses who change their minds, can’t make a decision or jerk us around. When bosses change their minds it impacts us as workers. These changes mean we often redo our work or work we have…
- Mid Career Pivot: When It's Time To Make A Major Change
Thinking about making a career change? Feeling stuck in your job? Curious how to change directions, after you’ve spent years (or decades!) building your career? You’re not alone. According to an Indeed survey , the average age for people m…
- Never Not Working: How To Tell if You're a Workaholic and What To Do About It
How much work is too much work? Can you ever turn it off? We’re exploring the roots of workaholism, its impact on our lives, and—most importantly—what to do about it. What is Workaholism? The term was coined by psychologist Wayne E. Oates…
- I Don't Like You: How To Deal With Coworkers Who Drive You Nuts
A survey by LLC Inc. of over 1000 people across the US with an average age revealed that 83% of us have coworkers who annoys us, 21% have been so annoyed by a coworker they have considered quitting, and 52% say annoying coworkers prevent t…
- The Magic of Saying, "YES!": How Spontaneity Leads to Happiness--Even at Work!
Unpack the magic of saying “yes” more often, the beauty of spontaneous connections, and why your next best decision might just be unplanned. Even at work! Most of us pride ourselves on our planning – we are prepared, we are ready for anyth…
- Misogyny, Sexism, and the Patriarchy, Oh My!
From the sexualized Kamala t-shirts to the way women are treated in areas such as caregiving, menstruation, and menopause, misogyny is pervasive in our society. Misogyny is defined as the hatred, contempt, or prejudice against women or gir…
- Fear of Becoming Obsolete: As If We Didn't Have Enough to Worry About!
As if FOMO were not enough, now we consider FOBO, or the fear of obsolescence, in this climate of ever changing technology. SHOW NOTES Obsolescence is a reduction in our competence as an employee resulting from a lack of knowledge of new w…
- The Quest For Great Questions and Unexpected Answers
Questions are vital in all interactions as they transform the mundane into the mysterious and reveal what we don’t know. They’re the Swiss Army knife of communication, spurring learning, innovation, trust, and even mitigating business risk…
- When Life Gets Complicated: Navigating Personal Challenges at Work
While adversity often results in some kind of growth, many challenges are painful and exhausting - and yet, most of us need to continue to show up at work even during these hard times. Show Notes The adversity from personal challenges can…
- Why Teams Fall Apart: Entrenchment and Fault Lines
We are surrounded by entrenchment - in our communities, at work, in our families and certainly politically. Entrenchment happens when an attitude, habit, or belief becomes so firmly established that it morphs from “what I believe” into “wh…
- She Remembers: Women, Work and the Science of Memory
On this episode of Crina and Kirsten Get to Work, our gal pals focus on memory, how memory affects the workplace and how we can address or minimize memory issues. Crina had several experiences where people she was in meetings with or spoke…