Podcast Summary: Fixable – "Re-release: Unsolicited Advice: How to get your mojo back at work"

Hosts: Anne Morriss & Frances Frei
Release Date: January 19, 2026

Overview

In this episode, hosts Anne Morriss (CEO and best-selling author) and Frances Frei (Harvard Business professor)–partners in both marriage and work–go all-in with practical, compassionate, and sometimes delightfully blunt advice for anyone feeling stuck, overwhelmed, under-inspired, or in a state of "exhausted mediocrity" at work. With the promise to spare no wisdom or restraint, they break down the causes of burnout, provide strategies for intentional recovery, and explore powerful ways to rediscover energy, passion, and purpose in one’s professional life.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Problem: "Exhausted Mediocrity" (02:31–05:19)

• Anne introduces the dual issue plaguing many workers: being both overwhelmed and uninspired, a state she and Frances describe as "exhausted mediocrity."

• Referencing Adam Grant’s term “languishing,” they detail how this state is marked by persistent stress without payoff, resulting in burnout and a sense of futility.

  “It's this mix of feeling both stressed and bored at the same time…we are just in this state of activity without any return.” – Anne Morriss (03:35)

• Frances emphasizes how demoralizing it is to be exhausted and mediocre:

  “If I was going to be mediocre, I'd like to be well-rested.” – Frances Frei (04:27)

Renewal Equation

• Dial down negative (burnout) and dial up positive parts (energy, engagement).
• Both aim to help listeners transform work from a life-force drain to a source of life-force.

2. Addressing Exhaustion: Why We're So Tired & What We Can Do About It

a) The "Always On" Culture (05:24–10:38)

• Frances references Harvard colleague Leslie Perlow’s research, which shows that always-on individuals and teams perform worse than those who schedule true time off.

  “You are giving up performance if you're doing that.” – Frances Frei (06:44)

• Prescription: The team, as a whole, can deliver continuous service, but individuals must alternate — it's not sustainable if everyone is "always on" at all times.

  “We have an always-on value proposition to the customer. We don't have an always-on culture. We have a scheduled time-off culture.” – Frances Frei (07:19)

• Book mentioned: Sleeping with Your Smartphone by Leslie Perlow.

• Intentionality is key: "Intentional disconnection" (Anne, 08:18), physically putting away devices, and agreeing to boundaries.

• External demands matter, but personal agency is recognized:

  “I have to tell you, I don't think it's because anyone else is imposing anything on us. I think it's an inside job.” – Frances Frei (09:25)

b) Experimentation & Agency (09:39–10:38)

• Both hosts encourage leveraging new workplace openness to experiment with boundaries, rest, and schedules.

• There’s no universally optimal schedule; what matters is being deliberate about rest:

  “The intentionality of the off, that was the key ingredient.” – Frances Frei (10:42)

c) Emotional Contagion & Boundaries (11:04–15:25)

• Anne raises the struggle of empathetic workers absorbing others' negative emotions.

• Frances offers two tools from her “operations DNA”:

  1. Reduce: Limit exposure (quarantine, reduce interaction)
  2. Accommodate: Accept and let others act out their emotions without taking responsibility (referencing Mel Robbins' “Let them” mantra).

  “If there's something that's... you need to not get the full strength of it, you either reduce it or you accommodate it.” – Frances Frei (12:03)

• Anne appreciates the freeing aspect of not being “co-responsible” for everyone else’s emotional state.

• Frances' hierarchy:

  “Reduce everywhere you can… when you can’t, accommodate.” (14:57)

d) Tactic Summary (15:29–16:02)

• Intention is the recurring theme: bring deep intention to breaks, job design, emotional boundaries, and personal agency.

  “You got to own it. You're the problem. It's you.” – Anne Morriss (16:02)

3. Rekindling Energy: Rediscovering Passion, Purpose, and Mission

a) Aliveness through Passion and Mission (17:51–20:52)

• The hosts push back against the trendy dismissal of passion as “frivolous.”

  “I think passion is underrated in the quest to [come] alive. Where we will agree is that it's not sufficient. But where we disagree is ...” – Frances Frei (19:04)

• Mission does not have to be "world peace"; it just needs to be bigger than yourself.

b) Tactics for Rediscovering Passion (20:53–25:22)

• Frances shares her practice of coaching people to become anthropologists of their own interests:

  • “Notice where you stop and dwell” in news, reading, YouTube–these are clues to genuine interest.

  “Be judgment free. Observe where you are dwelling. That's a pretty good first order of what catches your interest.” – Frances Frei (20:57)

• Anne relates the value of uncovering “what made you weird as a kid” — quirky, sidelined behaviors can signal your core passions.

  “What do you do that's weird? What are you doing on the down low?” – Anne Morriss (23:55)

• Frances gives her own example: experimenting with video teaching as an outgrowth of her mission to democratize access to learning.

c) Micro-Needs Matter Too (25:30–28:43)

• Besides grand passions, daily micro-needs – like variety, steep learning, risk, competition, or mastery–are vital.

  “If you need variety, don't deny yourself variety. And if you need consistency, don't deny yourself consistency.” – Frances Frei (29:05)

• Anne: “What do you need most from work? ... How well are you meeting these needs right now? ... How might we evolve this job so that it gets closer to what you need?”

d) Practical Exercise (29:43–30:15)

• Make a list of your top five work needs.
• Assess how well they’re being met.
• If unmet, strategize ways to redesign work—or plan an exit if needed.

4. Big Energy: Ambition & "Adding a Zero" (32:46–38:54)

a) The Power of Big Goals

• Frances introduces her coaching approach: “Add a zero” to any goal; make it much bigger than feels comfortable.

  “The more ambitious you are, you will achieve more. Ambition is our friend. So adding a zero to a goal is a delicious way to thrive.” – Frances Frei (33:51)

• Contrarian view: Don’t just focus on micro-steps. Instead, envision a destination that genuinely excites you—even (especially) if it feels out of reach.

  “I want it to be that far away.” – Frances Frei (35:11)

• Anne references Peter Drucker’s idea that people underestimate what they can accomplish in five years, but calls for even shorter, more ambitious cycles in today’s fast-moving world.

  “Now, I feel like we are just way underestimating what can happen in three to five years. I don't even know how to think about that.” – Frances Frei (36:27)

b) The Power of Starting Now

• Don’t fall into the trap of constant planning – just begin.

  “How about now?” – Frances Frei (38:16; signature phrase)

• Action releases energy, creates momentum, and is a powerful antidote to anxiety and stagnation.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “If I was going to be mediocre, I'd like to be well-rested.” – Frances Frei (04:27)
• “Intentionality gets the headline. You have to be intentional about the off time.” – Frances Frei (10:42)
• “The phrase I like…is intentional disconnection.” – Anne Morriss (08:18)
• “Let them…you do your own inside job…you get to choose how to respond to it.” – Frances Frei on Mel Robbins' “Let them” (13:24)
• “Be judgment free. Observe where you are dwelling…That's a pretty good first order of what catches your interest.” – Frances Frei (20:57)
• “What do you do that's weird? What are you doing on the down low?” – Anne Morriss (23:55)
• “If you need variety, don't deny yourself variety. And if you need consistency, don't deny yourself consistency.” – Frances Frei (29:05)
• “Add a zero…ambition is our friend.” – Frances Frei (33:51)
• “How about now?” – Frances Frei (38:16)

Timestamps for Important Segments

• Exhausted Mediocrity Defined: 02:31–05:19
• Always-On Culture & Rest: 05:24–10:38
• Emotional Boundaries at Work: 11:04–15:25
• Intentionality Recap: 15:29–16:02
• Rediscovering Passion & Purpose: 17:51–20:52
• Becoming Your Own Anthropologist: 20:53–25:22
• Micro-Needs Matter: 25:30–29:43
• List Your Work Needs Exercise: 29:43–30:15
• Ambition – "Add a Zero": 32:46–38:54
• The Power of Starting Now: 38:16

Tone

Anne and Frances maintain a candid, supportive, and occasionally wry tone throughout. Their dynamic is fast-paced, deeply empathetic, and refreshingly practical, with plenty of playful ribbing and honest self-reflection.

Practical Takeaways

• Schedule deliberate time off—intentionality is more important than any “best” schedule (10:42)
• Reduce or accommodate emotional contagion: set boundaries or adopt a “let them” mindset for others’ negativity (12:03–14:16)
• Revisit your passions: track what genuinely draws your attention and energizes you, no matter how odd or off-brand (20:57, 23:55)
• List and honor your micro-needs at work (29:05)
• Dream much bigger than feels comfortable (“Add a zero” to your goals) and start acting now (33:51, 38:16)

This episode is especially valuable for anyone on the brink of burnout, those seeking to recharge their sense of purpose, or leaders aiming to build environments where everyone can do their best work sustainably. It’s a reminder that both intentional rest and bold ambition can, and should, co-exist in today’s workplace.