<p><em>New episodes come out every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday for free, with 1-week early access for Wondery+ subscribers.</em></p> <p><em>---</em></p> <p>This is the first of a four part series on work that we're calling, "Work Life." </p> <p><br /></p> <p>Work can play a huge role in our sanity and happiness, or lack thereof. So today we're going to tackle some common and thorny questions with a guy who has been extremely successful at work and now teaches other people how to do so. We talk about questions such as how much work life balance should we really strive for? Is hustle culture really dead? What's the role of luck in success? How much is enough and should you bring your whole self to the office? </p> <p><br /></p> <p>Scott Galloway is a professor of marketing at NYU's Stern School of Business. He's also a serial entrepreneur. He's founded nine companies, including Profit, Red Envelope, and Section Four.</p> <p><br /></p> <p>He's served on the boards of directors of the New York Times Company, Urban Outfitters and Panera Bread. He's the best-selling author of many books, including, <a href="https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/609305/the-algebra-of-happiness-by-scott-galloway/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>The Algebra of Happiness</em></a>, <a href="https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/670729/post-corona-by-scott-galloway/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>Post Corona</em></a>, and his latest book, which is called <a href="https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/713560/adrift-by-scott-galloway/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>Adrift: America in 100 Charts</em></a>. He's also the host of two podcasts, <a href="https://profgmedia.com/the-show/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Prof. G.</a> and <a href="https://profgmedia.com/pivot/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Pivot.</a> The latter, Pivot, which he co-hosts with the legendary tech reporter Kara Swisher.<strong> </strong></p> <p><br /></p> <p><strong>In this episode we talk about:</strong></p> <p><br /></p> <ul> <li>Why work is such a big factor in determining our mental health</li> <li>What's the number one retention factor at work</li> <li>How capitalism pushes us towards living to work rather than the other way around </li> <li>Why Galloway believes men's sense of self-worth is so often (maybe too often) based on their ability to earn </li> <li>Where he stands on the idea of "bringing your whole self to work"</li> <li>How to get over being fired</li> <li>His thoughts on side hustles, work/life balance and whether remote work will stick around post COVID </li> <li>Why he says being in the office is important for young workers if they want to get ahead, especially young men</li> <li>Why, despite making a great living, he still has economic anxiety</li> <li>The rare moments when he is able to enjoy himself and say, "this is enough"</li> <li>His addiction to the approval of others </li> <li>How Galloway handles his critics, while retaining his willingness to go out on a limb and be controversial</li> </ul> <p><br /></p> <p><br /></p> <p><strong>Full Shownotes:</strong> <a href="https://www.tenpercent.com/podcast-episode/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://www.tenpercent.com/podcast-episode/scott-galloway-573</a></p>
Actionable Insights
1. Prioritize Work in Early Career
If you are ambitious and seek economic security, commit fully to your career in your 20s and 30s, as this period is optimal for establishing relevance before family and age-related demands increase.
2. Adopt an Ownership Work Ethic
Consistently arrive early, act like an owner by considering decisions as if you had a stake in the company, and commit to working exceptionally hard, as effort is largely within your control.
3. In-Office Work for Young Professionals
Young professionals, especially men, should prioritize in-office work to establish relationships, find mentors, learn professional discipline, and develop crucial social skills that are difficult to acquire remotely.
4. Strategic Self-Presentation at Work
Bring your full grit and commitment to work, but refrain from bringing your personal emotions, political views, or sensibilities about what offends you, as this approach is generally not beneficial for professional advancement.
5. Cultivate Kindness as a Leader
As a leader, make a conscious effort to be kinder, express appreciation to employees, and offer support to improve their daily lives and your own happiness.
6. Recovering from Job Loss
If you get fired, allow yourself a short period to mourn, then forgive yourself, recognize it’s often not personal, and immediately focus on proactive steps like networking and confidently presenting yourself as a solution to other companies’ problems.
7. Harness Humiliation for Motivation
If you experience professional failure or humiliation, use it as a powerful motivator to ‘get your shit together’ and work harder to achieve your goals, especially for the well-being of loved ones.
8. Focus on One Main Hustle
If you seek economic security, direct all your professional energy into one main endeavor; if you have a side hustle, it indicates your main one isn’t working, so transition to make the side hustle your primary focus.
9. Savor Present Fleeting Moments
Actively practice tuning into and savoring precious, fleeting moments, especially with loved ones, as this is a trainable mental skill that enhances appreciation and joy before experiences evaporate.
10. Find Joy in Small Things
Actively seek and appreciate joy, reward, and wonder in small, everyday things, as this practice becomes easier and more fulfilling with age and significantly contributes to overall happiness.
11. Recreate Contentment Moments
Reflect on past moments of deep reward and contentment, identify the contributing attributes and people, and then actively work to recreate similar contexts in your life.
12. Mortality for Present Moment
Cultivate an awareness of mortality to ground yourself more deeply in the present moment and increase the value you place on your relationships.
13. Acknowledge Personal Privilege
Reflect on your personal advantages and circumstances to gain perspective, which can lead to greater kindness, better citizenship, and a more accurate understanding of your achievements.
14. Address External Validation Addiction
Be aware of and work to diminish an excessive reliance on external validation or the affirmation of strangers, as this addiction can lead to cycles of reward and depression that are ultimately unfulfilling.
15. Remote Work Compensation Trade-offs
Be aware that choosing a remote work job may lead to lower compensation and reduced professional trajectory, as such roles are more susceptible to global competition and outsourcing.
16. Provoke Conversation, Not Just Be Right
When engaging in public discourse or sharing opinions, aim to provoke thoughtful conversation rather than strictly striving to be right, which can help manage criticism and foster dialogue.
17. Advocate for “Care Worker” Accommodations
As a corporation or an individual, advocate for and implement special accommodations for “care workers” (those caring for children, parents, or managing their own health) to ensure their career trajectory is supported even with flexible work arrangements.