Morra x Fixable: How to feel less awkward, stay strong during a job search, and build your team's confidence
We’ve been taught that confidence means the absence of anxiety, but what if that’s completely wrong? In this special crossover episode, I joined Anne and Frances from Fixable to talk about the hidden link between anxiety and confidence. They answer listener questions about feeling awkward at work, leading with trust, and staying confident during rejection. We also delve into why anxiety is not a flaw but a sign of growth, how to handle “awkward office moments” with grace, and how to turn setbacks into superpowers. Get ready to see your anxiety as proof that you care, not proof that you can’t.
In this Episode, You Will Learn
00:00 Why anxiety and confidence are deeply connected.
04:00 How do you rebuild in-person confidence after remote work?
06:30 Why awkwardness at the office is completely normal.
09:00 The “Snack Week” experiment to practice connection and confidence.
13:00 Leadership lessons for helping your team build confidence.
15:00 Why weekend praise texts might backfire.
18:00 The right way to give feedback and celebrate failure.
21:00 How to stay confident through job rejection.
25:00 Why you already have confidence inside you.
30:00 How do you turn perfectionism into progress?
32:00 One Post-it exercise to stay grounded and confident every day.
Resources + Links
Listen to Anne & Frances’ Fixable Podcast HERE
Get a copy of my book - The Anxious Achiever
Watch the podcast on YouTube
Find more resources on our website morraam.com
Follow
Follow me: on LinkedIn @morraaronsmele + Instagram @morraam
Follow Anne Morriss: @annemorriss
Follow Frances Frei: @francesxfrei
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Beekman 1802's Josh Kilmer-Purcell: Anxiety Is My Superpower
So many high achievers feel like their anxiety or depression will hold them back, but what if those challenges are actually your edge? In this episode, I sit down with Josh Kilmer-Purcell, co-founder of Beekman 1802 and Amazing Race winner, to talk about how living with anxiety and depression can shape your leadership, your creativity, and your approach to risk. Josh shares the mindset shifts, practical tools, and partnership strategies that helped him build a $150M brand without ignoring mental health. We also dive into empathy as a business strength, using “nightmare boards” to manage risk, and why kindness is a measurable business advantage. Get ready to use your anxiety as your superpower!
In this Episode, You Will Learn
00:00 Meet Josh Kilmer-Purcell, co-founder of Beekman 1802.
05:00 Risk and mental health in entrepreneurship and leadership.
08:30 Anxiety as a superpower and depression as a source of empathy.
16:30 How to use anxiety as a strategic advantage in your business.
20:30 The 51% rule for making tough business and relationship decisions.
26:45 Tools to manage depression and build resilience.
32:30 What is a nightmare board?
34:45 How to reframe envy into growth and perspective.
40:00 What chickens and “crone hens” teach us about aging, purpose, and enoughness.
47:15 Why sticking to your success goalpost builds lasting contentment.
54:00 How to know if you belong among people or in nature.
Resources + Links
Get a copy of my book - The Anxious Achiever
Watch the podcast on YouTube
Find more resources on our website morraam.com
Follow
Follow me: on LinkedIn @morraaronsmele + Instagram @morraam
Follow Josh on LinkedIn: @joshkilmerpurcell
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Great Leaders Have Anxiety– And They Know How To Manage It
Anxiety isn’t a flaw you have to hide or a weakness you need to fix, it’s information you can use. In this special cross-post from The Next Big Idea podcast, I sit down with host Rufus Griscom to talk about what 17 years of research, leadership interviews, and lived experience have taught me about navigating anxiety, depression, and neurodivergence. I share how reframing anxiety as data can help you show up with courage, why over-functioning often comes from childhood systems, and the surprising science linking mental health challenges with leadership excellence. Plus, I also share tools to work with self-criticism, break free from procrastination, and even “bank joy” so you have reserves to call on when life feels heavy. Get ready to turn your anxious brain into an ally instead of an enemy.
In this Episode, You Will Learn
00:00 Why anxiety is a data not an excuse.
05:30 How common anxiety and depression really are in leaders.
09:15 Family systems theory and the roots of over-functioning.
16:45 What is the Yerkes-Dodson curve?
20:45 Ways to manage anxiety.
22:30 How to stop cruel self-talk with tools like self-compassion.
27:45 How do you sustain focus when a project is no longer exciting?
34:00 What can companies do to better support neurodiverse employees?
36:15 Grounding techniques to reset anxiety at work.
41:00 Visualization practices to comfort your inner child.
46:00 The ‘banana trick’ from ACT therapy to stop catastrophic thoughts.
Resources + Links
Listen to The Next Big Idea Podcast HERE
Get a copy of my book - The Anxious Achiever
Watch the podcast on YouTube
Find more resources on our website morraam.com
Follow
Follow me: on LinkedIn @morraaronsmele + Instagram @morraam
Follow Rufus on LinkedIn: @rufusgriscom
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Leading for Inclusive Excellence with Dr. Keivan Stassun
What can an Astrophysics Lab teach us about managing for inclusive excellence- and how can it make your own meetings better? In this episode, I sit down with Dr. Keivan Stassun, MacArthur Genius Fellow, Vanderbilt astrophysicist, and founder of the Frist Center for Autism and Innovation. We talk about clear communication norms, leading better meetings and other practices that support neurodiverse talent, and the mindset shift managers need to unlock hidden genius at work. Get ready to create workplaces where every brain can thrive.
In this Episode, You Will Learn
00:00 What does “inclusive excellence” really mean?
05:15 How clear communication norms unlock focus and fairness.
08:30 Why agendas, structure, and precision help neurodivergent employees.
12:00 Ways to build new team habits that stick over time.
16:00 Supporting hyperfocus and respecting “hardwired” traits.
20:30 What Dr. Stassun discovered about his own brain through managing diverse teams.
23:00 Why Dr. Stassun normalized virtual participation years before COVID.
27:30 The science of visual thinking and strengths-based neurodiversity.
30:15 Why creativity and genius show up in many different forms.
33:30 The #1 mindset shift managers need to unlock talent.
Resources + Links
Get a copy of my book - The Anxious Achiever
Watch the podcast on YouTube
Find more resources on our website morraam.com
Follow
Follow me: on LinkedIn @morraaronsmele + Instagram @morraam
Follow Dr.Keivan Stassun on LinkedIn: @keivanstassun
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Conflict Is Necessary At Work... Really with Amy Gallo
Most of us hate conflict. It feels uncomfortable, anxiety-inducing, and often easier to avoid. In this episode, I talk with conflict expert Amy Gallo about why avoiding conflict fuels more anxiety in the long run, and how to reframe difficult conversations as opportunities for connection and progress. Amy shares her four-step framework for handling conflict, what to do when shame or fear hijack your emotions, and why practicing in small, everyday interactions can build confidence for higher stakes moments. Tune in to learn tools and mindset shifts you need to navigate disagreements with more calm, clarity, and confidence.
In this Episode, You Will Learn
00:00 Why most of us avoid conflict.
06:00 Tips to manage conflict in a healthy way.
09:45 How avoiding conflict builds “conflict debt” that comes back stronger.
12:30 Ways to rebuild trust and strengthen relationships after conflict.
17:30 The gender angle of negotiating and conflict at work.
22:45 Amy’s 4-step framework for handling conflict effectively.
30:15 Why “agree to disagree” isn’t always a real solution.
32:00 How do you recover from conflict when shame or rumination takes over?
Resources + Links
Get a copy of my book - The Anxious Achiever
Watch the podcast on YouTube
Find more resources on our website morraam.com
Follow
Follow me: on LinkedIn @morraaronsmele + Instagram @morraam
Follow Amy: on LinkedIn @amyegallo + Instagram @amyegallo
Host Morra Aarons-Mele is on a mission to reframe how we think about anxiety and mental health in the workplace. Anxiety disorders are the most common mental illness in the U.S. We desperately need better models for leadership and a more holistic view of mental health. Our culture tells those of us who suffer from anxiety and depression that we can’t succeed, but we tell a different story — without sugarcoating the tough stuff. We feature stories from people who’ve been there and experts who can help you thrive.
Listen in your favorite podcast app: https://pod.link/1480904163
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