WORK Underlined: It's a Marathon, Not a Sprint

Podcast: Work with Erika Ayers Badan
Host: Erika Ayers Badan | Guest: Suhan
Air Date: January 21, 2026

Episode Overview

In this “Underlined” segment of the WORK podcast, Erika Ayers Badan and her guest Suhan dive deep into the theme of endurance over brilliance, drawing inspiration from a Morgan Housel quote about surviving short-term problems to reap long-term rewards. The conversation explores mindsets and strategies around endurance, resilience, compartmentalization, optimism, and the “contagiousness” of energy in any environment from the office to the airport. The episode blends personal anecdotes, workplace examples, and practical advice for pushing through tough times with humor, candor, and energy.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

The Guiding Quote: Endurance Over Brilliance

• Morgan Housel's Quote (00:25):

  “The trick in any field, from finance to careers to relationships, is being able to survive the short run problems so you can stick around long enough to enjoy the long term growth.”

  Morgan Housel, Same As Ever

• Suhan highlights Housel’s wisdom as life and business advice: Progress is less about flashes of brilliance and more about weathering the inevitable tough patches (00:25–01:19).

Endurance and Resilience as Mindset

• Erika on Endurance (01:19):

  “I actually love the word endurance. Endurance and resilience kind of go together.”

• Endurance is a mindset, not just a physical trait. It involves:
  • Believing that “if not this, then something better” is possible.
  • Tackling hard problems head-on, rather than avoiding them.
  • Recognizing that problems are persistent and part of any journey.
• Erika gives a vivid workplace analogy: coming into a new job (Food52) felt like opening the ‘junk closet’ and being overwhelmed by issues; the key is to actually sort it out rather than keep shoving things away (01:58).

Compartmentalization: The "Put It in the Drawer" Approach

• Bill Belichick’s Advice via Suhan (03:53):

  “…put it in the drawer, meaning all your personal things that you’re going on, all your short-term problems… Because our goal is to obviously win the Super Bowl.”

• Compartmentalization is distinguished from avoidance—it's about focusing deliberately on the task at hand (04:52).
• Erika:

  “One of my greatest skills is I’m very adept at compartmentalizing... it’s just effort and reps.” (05:07)

Optimism is a Practice, Not a Trait

• Erika on Positivity (06:28):

  “Being optimistic is a choice and it is a choice. It is not like, ‘oh, you’re naturally ebullient...’ It’s a fucking choice.”

• Even natural pessimists or those who lean into negativity can learn to “solve with positivity”—it’s a conscious attitude that leaders must bring, even if they don’t feel it internally (06:45–07:10).

The Power and Contagiousness of Energy

• Suhan’s Observation (07:32):

  “…every time you come in, I can hear you way down the hallway. I hear you, ‘Hey, how’s it going?’…and you walk away… that’s something I noticed. I started doing that. Not at a huge company… but in my personal life.”

• Small habits, like warmly greeting people, set the tone and are extremely influential—energy “infects” teams, friends, and even tense airport companions (08:01–08:59).

Showing Up: Attitude Over Talent

• Erika’s Reflection on How You Present (09:17):

  “…how you show up is just so important. …in the workplace how you show up is very often how other people feel.”

• She shares a lesson from her lacrosse days—how you present impacts your mindset and the people around you (09:17–09:50).
• It doesn’t require talent to:
  • Show up on time
  • Be respectful
  • Put in effort
  • Approach challenges with a winning mindset

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Morgan Housel’s Core Quote (12:11):

  “The trick in any field, from finance to careers to relationships, is being able to survive the short run problems so you can stick around long enough to enjoy the long term growth.”

• Erika, on attitude over skill (12:00):

  “All the things…takes no talent. It’s just an attitude choice.”

• Suhan’s JFK Airport Mantra (08:39):

  “Isn’t this great? We’re here…this is good time to be in JFK.”
  His friend: “It’s a horrible time to be in JFK.”
  Suhan: “It’s a great time to be in JFK. They’re remodeling.”

Timestamps for Key Segments

• 00:25 — Introduction of the Morgan Housel quote and theme.
• 01:19–02:45 — Erika’s take on endurance and her “junk closet” analogy.
• 03:53 — Bill Belichick’s “put it in the drawer”; compartmentalization discussion.
• 04:52–06:45 — Erika on staying positive, optimism as a deliberate choice.
• 07:32 — Suhan’s anecdote about Erika’s energy and adopting that in his own life.
• 08:59–09:50 — The significance of presence, showing up, and influencing group energy.
• 12:11–12:26 — Reiteration of the episode’s guiding quote and its application.

Takeaways

• Endurance and resilience aren’t about innate talent but habits and mindset.
• Compartmentalization allows focus and survival through rough patches.
• Optimism is a repeated, tested choice—not merely a mood.
• How you show up and the energy you bring can transform teams—for better or worse.
• Ultimately, outlasting short-term hardships positions you to reap long-term rewards—across work, life, and relationships.

For more from Erika Ayers Badan or to participate in the WORK podcast community, check out erikaayersbadan.substack.com.