Podcasts by The Working Ant

What is experience, anyway? from 2023-12-08T18:26:10

We’re hired for our experience. Every day in some way, we are applying our experience. We’re praised for our experience and compensated for the perceived level of experience we possess. We’re rewar...

Are you one with the people? from 2023-06-20T21:33:12

In uncertain times and under exceptional circumstances, leadership is strained and stressful. In "peacetime," where work is quite clear and career aspirations appear realistic and achi...

Keep your tongue warm. from 2023-06-06T13:39:55

There’s an old stoic saying that saying what is unnecessary, often leads to saying more than it is necessary. And so one must act as though he/she is the moderator of what they choose to say ove...

The joy of character and the bounty that it brings your career. from 2023-05-23T04:16:03

We often forgo the closest things to us, but we don't lose character, we simply lose sight of it. The quality of one’s character is what gives birth to one’s personality. It’s the bedrock to...

Transform your expectations. from 2023-05-16T04:00:57

Our expectations stick to us like a shadow to the body - always following us as a reminder of the presence and power they hold over our life satisfaction. Little do we reflect on why they are th...

Instead of striving to have a voice, aim to have a say. from 2023-05-09T02:06:59

It's a common theme to strive to have a voice in the workplace. Everyone wants a voice (well most people). With that voice carries a feeling of being heard and acknowledged as a focus vs. that of h...

Like the Lynx, hone in your ability to see clearly through the darkness. from 2023-05-02T04:26:24

There's something about the allure of the person who can see light in the midst of darkness. These days, optics of optimism are a rarity but a necessity. Without clarity on our motivations, ...

Do I want your life? from 2023-04-25T03:20:03

Do I want your life?

This is more than a fair question to ask, but rather a necessary one, not to compare yourself to others, but rather to anchor on the possibilitie...

Make your Possible, Profitable. Here's how. from 2023-04-18T03:34:10

You need not a reminder that if you want to get the lift back into your feet and the lightness in your walk, you must have a goal that is focused and enlivening - something that excites you, bri...

Win the Competition at Work with this Alternative Approach. from 2023-04-11T04:34:36

In a time where competition is at its fiercest. A time where Generative AI has so many use cases that it feels like the “boogey-man” is coming to find a way to do what we do better, there more f...

Lose the pressure to please and restore your identity. from 2023-04-04T03:08:16

Imagine who you would define yourself as if you lost the pressure to please. These days we're constantly under a barrage of tests and trials over what's being asked of us to produce - es...

It might be just beginning, it might be near the end. from 2023-03-28T04:21:58

Remember when you wanted to grow up so fast because adults apparently had it all figured out? Look at yourself now, at whatever stage in life you may be. Are you at the beginning? Or are you nea...

When you have opportunity, but don't have the optics. from 2023-03-21T11:00:59

With so much on the line and so much pressure to preserve what you've built, it's so easy to be blindsided about opportunities that pass you by. When the competition is all about finding...

Moments of Choice When There Isn't Choice from 2023-03-15T05:37:08

Hello there Working Ant fans and subscribers, I've been feeling emotionally charged with so many imminent layoffs, economic uncertainty, and the power of bad becoming more prevalent now in the n...

"Love the Discipline You Know and Let it Support You." Marcus Aurelius from 2023-03-07T11:00:33

One of my favorite quotes of all time by Marcus Aurelius, "Love the Discipline You Know and Let it Support You," has been around for generations in his best selling memoir "Meditations." I explo...

Let's go deeper into Likability from 2023-02-28T11:00:33

Likability remains one of my most talked about subjects here on the Working Ant.  Today let's dive deeper into the topic of Likability - specifically how 3 attributes  create lasting a...

Do you know what your job is? from 2023-01-31T11:00:48

It's hard to believe but we all need a wake up call to what is the obvious, and that is, "What is your job?"

In times like these it couldn't be more important and yet it's precisely in ti...

What you consume, you become. from 2023-01-17T11:15:17

I've often wondered why we consume so much of what doesn't move the needle or at best is neutral in contributing to our personal and professional development. Often times it's because the consum...

The Feedback that Matters Most: Your Own! from 2023-01-10T11:00:35

It's that time of year when feedback starts to trickle through. While feedback is so important towards our career, it also is a cause for anxiety and fear of rejection. What's most important is ...

How to Make a Decision (the right kind) from 2023-01-03T12:00:27

Happy New Year!! It's incredible how the new year has come upon us. Many of us feel compelled to make a decision - perhaps something that has been hovering over our minds for quite some time. An...

Master Your Identity from 2022-12-21T14:00:33

One of the strongest forces of human nature is to be consistent with the identity we have developed for ourselves. This identity which has been built over the course of our lives holds within it...

How to create more meaningful conversations from 2022-12-13T13:50:17

It's so easy to have passive, transactional conversations.  

The plethora of short, surface-level interactions we encounter leave much to be desired if our goals are to pursue more m...

What would happen if you received it all? from 2022-12-06T14:00:20

This time of year, we reflect, we ponder, we anticipate, often hyper focusing on "If only..." in some form or another:

• If only I had a larger paycheck

• If only I was working on ...

Why Imagination Wins Over Intelligence (and how to get your imagination back) from 2022-11-17T14:00:03

As we grow in our careers, our intelligence takes over imagination and yet it was imagination that got us here in the first place. Here's how to get your imagination back and recognize its key to y...

Don't Become a Career Sitting Duck from 2022-11-09T14:00:30

Don't wait for the wind of fortunes to change your career path. Either you evoke an urgency for action, or become a sitting duck for others to take target at. Choosing the latter is not an option!

Internalize Other People's Joy: Practicing Mitfreude from 2022-11-08T14:00:16

We celebrate other people's accomplishments but rarely do we ever tap into how they feel about them.  Transition having joy "from" to having having joy "with" another person's success and r...

Chasing Care over Cure & the Expectancy Value Trap. from 2022-11-03T13:00:55

Chasing Care over Cure & the Expectancy Value Trap.

Pick the right race to run. from 2022-10-25T13:00:56

Are you on the right team? Are you learning from the right people? How obsessed should you really be with your work? Here's how to begin thinking about whether or not you're running the right ra...

Have you heard of Social Loafing? from 2022-10-18T13:00:16

Social loafing is real. Learn what it is and how to navigate your career around it.

What you take for granted, others take for gold. from 2022-10-11T13:00:35

It's a privilege to be back with you.

Ep. 45: Pursuing what you love vs. Doing what is good for you. from 2021-07-26T12:00

Inspired by a former manager, an over 15 year mentor, and a prominent technology leader here in the San Francisco Bay Area, this statement is perhaps one that lingers most with me as it has with...

Ep. 44: How to influence without authority. Master the art of influence in the workplace. from 2021-07-19T12:00

Who ever said you needed to be in a position of power to influence a team, an organization, or your manager?  Most of us feel we need to show up wearing a white robe or have a specific titl...

Ep. 43: Giving Voice & Visibility: Go out of your way to promote others. from 2021-06-28T12:00

You see it all the time. Managers and leaders demand excellence.  Your KPI's, OKR's, SMART objectives, and so on, keep you on your toes and in the know of what gets you to the next level. &...

Ep. 42: Sustenance is what leads to Success, not Sustainability! from 2021-06-21T12:00

We all strive for a level of stability.  We wish for a sustainable, predictable lifestyle.  The hustle requires too much muscle and we tire out quickly expecting results, which when no...

Ep. 41: A Timeless Blunder: Output vs. Outcome from 2021-06-14T12:00

Need I say much more? We work so hard to get ahead and some of us can't seem to rise above the surface for air when it's already performance review time.  Wiping away the sweat, sitting upr...

Ep. 40: How to elevate the significance of your work even if you don't directly impact revenue (4 secrets) from 2021-06-07T12:00

*Know this: Whatever job or role you currently have that you don't believe adds any significant value to the company can in fact be transformed into an integral role that many depend on.

...

Ep. 39: Programmed Rationalization: How to Escape Ongoing Self Sabotage from 2021-06-02T12:00

What comes through habit, seems completely natural. If we tell ourselves something over and over again, it probably may start sounding more true even if at first we called it into question. So w...

Ep. 38: Plant the seeds, not of or for the necessities of the season, but for a harvest that may never come from 2021-05-24T13:00

"He who is self absorbed may temporarily protect himself in his mental castle of preserved self image, letting no one near his sphere to penetrate influence - but when exposed to the ocean of ab...

Ep. 37: Surfacing your Undisturbed Inner Voice. Your UIV will set you FREE. from 2021-05-17T13:00

Our "Undisturbed Inner Voice" (UIV) exists in each and everyone of us.  It may surface, but only when called on, only when asked to deliberately be activated.  Like any mental muscle t...

Ep. 36: Celebrate your Ignorance & Embrace Self-Revelation from 2021-05-12T13:00

"If you are irritated by every rub, how will you be polished?" Rumi.  In this bonus episode of the Working Ant, let's combine what we know and do not know (and choose to ignore) in order to...

Ep. 35: How to show your boss that you can bell the cat (and other mighty things too) from 2021-05-10T17:45:54

You have just one boss, but your boss has many direct reports.  You have infrequent scheduled 1-1's with your boss, but your boss has several 1-1's with his directs each day.  Such lim...

Ep. 34: How to Positively Associate Your Presence and Secure Your Career in the Process from 2021-05-05T17:28:44

“Be tolerant with others and strict with yourself.” Marcus Aurelius.  When we think about building relationships at work, we often don't think about the fu...

Ep. 33: How to Avoid the Trap of becoming Data Rich, Execution Poor (DREP) from 2021-04-28T17:42:32

"Constant misfortune brings this one blessing:  to whom it always assails, it eventually fortifies." Seneca

As we progress in our careers, many of us find ourselves inevitably in lea...

Ep. 32: The Art of Giving (and Risking) Strong Opinions from 2021-04-22T03:28:24

“You always own the option of having no opinion. There is never any need to get worked up or to trouble your soul about things you can't control. These things are not asking to be judged by you....

Ep. 31: Fortified Facades of Character: How to Secretly Pierce Through, Occupy the Void, and Leverage Your Victory. from 2021-04-14T21:46:29

Understand that people's deepest desires are not only to be appreciated, but to be understood. The faster you can get past the formalities of the fortifications of the facade in front of you, th...

Ep. 30: The Necessity of Making Introductions (the Highest Quality Transaction) and How to Brilliantly Give What You Always Wanted to Receive! from 2021-04-07T03:55:50

"In your actions, don’t procrastinate. In your conversations, don’t confuse. In your thoughts, don’t wander. In your soul, don’t be passive or aggressive. In your life, don’t be all about busine...

Ep. 29: The Hidden Truth about Your Behavior from 2021-03-14T23:51:01

What are you focusing on today? What will the goal you have your mind fixated on, mean to you once you've achieved it?  These two questions seem quite obvious, but a third more critical que...

Ep. 28: Liberate your Language! How to Immediately Elevate your Verbal Arsenal (and Thinking) through Language. from 2021-03-07T16:52:25

Your words shape your reality. Your reality is shaped by your words. To succeed in elevating yourself to new heights, you must understand the significance of the words you choose, the analogies ...

Ep. 27: The 3C's of Perception: How to create the Ultimate Perception you want of yourself. from 2021-02-22T13:00

Make no mistake about it, you are an emotion in human form - an idea, a thought, a truth. Take the ultimate perception you want others to have of yourself and create it from within! Let me coach...

Ep. 26: Sprezzatura: Practicing the Art of Effortlessness from 2021-02-17T13:00

Want to appear as if you were naturally gifted at your craft? Did you ever consider not sharing how long it took you to complete an assignment instead of communicate how hard you worked to achieve ...

Ep. 25: How to instantly increase your accessibility and become more approachable. from 2021-02-10T13:00

Perhaps it's your language, the sound of your tone, your personability, or your approach altogether that needs some fine-tuning. In this week's episode of "The Working Ant," I'm going to coach y...

Ep. 24: The Alchemy of Persuasion: How to Convert your next Conversation. from 2021-02-02T13:00

In every transaction, persuasion of some form is the primary driver. No action is ever possible without it. Let me, your Host and Coach show you how to master your next interview or pitch by foc...

Ep. 23: How to Make Time your Ally by seeing it as an Emotion. from 2021-01-25T14:00

Imagine you could view Time purely as an emotion. What would that do for you? Would you generate it more often if you needed it? Time can feel fixed or infinite. It can also feel limited or mana...

Ep. 22: How "taking action" can actually be your biggest distraction! from 2021-01-19T13:00

You push. You sacrifice. You strive to get ahead. "The only way up is by taking action," they say.  Ah, your rigorous and noble pursuit for better days ahead! All this action can be your bi...

Ep. 21: Fantasies die with interruption. Destiny is ongoing. from 2021-01-13T13:00

Endless possibilities await at the gates of your mind, ready to flood it with fantasies and alternate realities of yourself.  It seems so crystal clear - what you need to do, how things mus...

2021 Message: See through the Fog of Work from 2021-01-04T16:38:03

Thank you for making The Working Ant such a resounding (and early) success in 2020.  

Just a short message of love and support from your Host and Coach.

Ep. 20: How to deepen your understanding of others by transcending into concealed emotions. from 2020-12-25T19:43:34

Just like you only see one side of the moon at night, you too only show one side of yourself at work. And so, it's no surprise that others only show their deliberate (or best) versions of themse...

Ep. 19: Avoid the Seduction of Certainty & Strive to be the Dumbest Person in the Room. from 2020-12-25T19:21:03

Certainty breeds an ego that appears strong and enduring, but at its core, is fragile and often false.  While it may appear that certainty is rewarded, in the long term, it falls flat when ...

Ep. 18: Bringing Back Emotional Amplification. from 2020-12-25T18:37:42

Like a Honeybee that lost its sting, a lizard who lost its tale, as we mature in our professional careers, our emotion expressions are more prone to tone down, even become stale. Most of us conf...

Ep. 17: Activate the power of your Social Capital. Their Power is YOURS! from 2020-12-16T13:00

More than your skill set and your expertise, your Social Capital is the truest and surest gateway to your success. If you don't have it, let me teach you how to create. If you think you have it,...

Ep. 16: How Positivity (and Humor) breeds your Likability from 2020-12-04T05:31:37

“He shows a greater mind who does not restrain his laughter, than he who does not deny his tears.” Seneca.  Rarely would you get a statement more powerful than that. Why so...

Ep. 15: How to make a fabulous (and lasting) impression. from 2020-11-17T13:00

In this session of The Working Ant, I'm going to walk you through some incredible statistics on impressions that will baffle you but will now know how to navigate around (and use to your advanta...

Ep. 14: Stopping Superficial Suffering (Starting Now). from 2020-11-09T12:00

Liberate your mind from narrated nonsense. In this episode of the Working Ant, I'll coach you through common Cognitive Distortions that divert us from reality and away from our ability to flouri...

Ep. 13: Want more for yourself? Be more OF YOURSELF! from 2020-10-26T02:20:25

Conformity can only go so far. If you lose too much of yourself (your identity), you'll inadvertently blame more of yourself later in your career. Stop this now by using the most amazing things ...

Ep. 12: How to preempt (and design) high stake conversations. Seize your bounty through preemptive intent! from 2020-10-19T02:00

Deliberateness unsupported by intent is like a shield without its sword.  Although sturdy and compelling, the inability to strike leaves the other party only dazed, slightly phased, and mor...

Ep. 11: Looking for a Hero? Enough already! Look in the mirror. Be YOUR OWN HERO! from 2020-10-12T00:57:04

Narrate your own story. Seeking validation? Create your own! Do not seek permission and learn how to be great at being your own source of inspiration.  This week, I'm a little unabridged in...

Ep. 10: If you were given a tongue, use it to speak to benefits FIRST, then to process. from 2020-10-05T03:50:17

Most of us default to speaking like operators, talking up our process when in fact we're losing out on massive opportunity when we don't speak in terms of benefits. Want to play the game well? L...

Ep. 9: Secrets on how to become immediately more likeable (and memorable) from 2020-09-28T03:42:08

In this episode of The Working Ant, I'm going to coach you on how to RADICALLY differentiate yourself in a way most of your peers would never even think of and it ironically sta...

Ep. 8: The Peak End Rule: Why your last impression is more important than the first and how to genuinely hack your next interview. from 2020-09-21T05:30:34

Don't wait for the positive signs in the interview, CREATE them! Want to ascertain live feedback in your next interview and deliberately showcase the compellingness and consistency you intended?...

Ep. 7: The Importance of Letting Go: How to begin to free yourself from the shackles that have always held you back! from 2020-09-14T03:22:38

Your professional future should never be defined by the fear of a new path!  In this episode of The Working Ant, I'll coach you on an alternative way of thought - a mind shift through narra...

Ep. 6: The Power of Beliefs Over Your Career (and your life) from 2020-09-05T17:54:49

Is it a gift or a setback? You choose. Is the silence deafening, or is it an awakening? You choose. Should I pursue it further, or is the writing on the wall?  YOU choose. This is all about...

Ep. 5: How to forge a new identity and give yourself sole responsibility for your own image. from 2020-08-30T16:29:55

Society imposes much on us. It's stressful initially, but we've gotten so used to masking it and living out an alternative image of ourselves that we fail to recognize the power we have to use a...

Ep. 4: Ostinato Rigore: Relentless Rigor (for yourself and your career). from 2020-08-24T16:58:49

Overcoming the mental block that tells you you're not good enough, not qualified enough, not ready to make the most out of this short life. Not for you and not on my watch!

Ep. 3: The Power of Feedback: How to get it, where to start, what to ask, and why it REALLY matters. from 2020-08-21T15:24:51

Do you want to improve the perception people have of you? Are you clear about the impact you have on others? The only way to truly respond to this question is to know what other people perceive ...

Ep. 2: How to finally create a compelling image of yourself that others will gravitate to! from 2020-08-18T04:09:22

What is the ultimate perception you want others to have of you? Did you ever think about this question and how it has impacted your career? 

In this episode I'll tea...

Ep. 1: To control the narrative, control yourself. from 2020-08-17T03:10

There's a big difference for those that feel constrained and confined with that which they cannot control and those who seek to seize what they can control and maximize its yield. Do not fall in...

Why Ramy? Why the Working Ant? Why this is different. from 2020-07-02T18:00

I've been asked this question a lot lately. It turns out this was a long time coming. I prolonged the inevitable, but inevitable is now here, and I intend for it stay.