Listening Differently: What Plants Teach Us About Communication, Connection, and Growth with Tigrilla Gardenia

Listening Differently: What Plants Teach Us About Communication, Connection, and Growth with Tigrilla Gardenia

What if your work, your ideas, and even your relationships were meant to function like ecosystems, not deadlines? In this episode, we sit down with Tigrilla Gardenia [https://tigrillagardenia.com/], a nature-inspired mentor and plant neurobiology expert, for one of our most surprising and thought-provoking conversations yet. Tigrilla shares her journey from music, technology, Microsoft, and Cirque du Soleil to living in a spiritual eco-community in Northern Italy and working with musical plants. Together, we explore what plants can teach us about leadership, collaboration, emotional intelligence, and the relationships we choose at work. From learning how to stop forcing and start flowing to rethinking “negative” traits as misplaced strengths, this conversation invites us to look at ourselves and our work environments differently. Because maybe the goal is not to fix every part of yourself. Maybe the goal is to understand where it belongs in the ecosystem. Find Tigrilla Gardenia on Linkedin [https://www.linkedin.com/in/tigrillagardenia/], Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/tigrillagardenia], Youtube [https://www.youtube.com/@tigrillagardenia] and Facebook [https://www.facebook.com/tigrillagardenia] Send us Fan Mail [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2320118/fan_mail/new] You can watch the full episode on Youtube [https://www.youtube.com/@WorkBestiesWhoPodcast] Follow us on IG [https://www.instagram.com/workbestieswhopodcast/] ,  TikTok [https://www.tiktok.com/@workbestieswhopodcast], Threads [https://www.threads.net/@workbestieswhopodcast?xmt=AQGzJIAlmi4v4GGLkhPG-Dpl-NCWnl2KBIITy7l4BWQ4g3k] and LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/company/105908763/admin/dashboard/] Please rate, comment and provide suggestions for upcoming episodes Work Besties! Theme Song Written by Ralph Lentini @therallyband

The Wisdom in the Room with Jodie Goldberg (Summer Friday Bonus!)

New Summer Friday Bonus episode is live! We are back with more from Jodie Goldberg, and this time we are talking about collective intelligence, leadership, and how to bring out the wisdom already sitting inside your team. Because sometimes the leader does not need every answer — they just need to create the space for the best ideas to rise. Send us Fan Mail [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2320118/fan_mail/new] You can watch the full episode on Youtube [https://www.youtube.com/@WorkBestiesWhoPodcast] Follow us on IG [https://www.instagram.com/workbestieswhopodcast/] ,  TikTok [https://www.tiktok.com/@workbestieswhopodcast], Threads [https://www.threads.net/@workbestieswhopodcast?xmt=AQGzJIAlmi4v4GGLkhPG-Dpl-NCWnl2KBIITy7l4BWQ4g3k] and LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/company/105908763/admin/dashboard/] Please rate, comment and provide suggestions for upcoming episodes Work Besties! Theme Song Written by Ralph Lentini @therallyband

Collaborate & Influence: How to Make Meetings Actually Work with Jodie Goldberg

Bad meetings are not just annoying. They are expensive. In this episode of Work Besties Who Podcast, Jess and Claude sit down with Jodie Goldberg [https://www.fleurishconsultinginc.com/] to talk about how meetings can either build connection, clarity, and trust — or completely drain the room. Jodie shares why better meetings start with intention, not just an agenda. From setting a clear purpose to creating meeting norms, managing over-talkers, making quieter voices feel heard, and replacing random icebreakers with true relational strategies, this conversation is full of practical ways to make meetings more human and more effective. We also talk about why not everyone needs to speak out loud to feel included, how physical space impacts participation, and why a great meeting is not about whether it is 15 minutes or 60 minutes — it is about how intentionally it is designed. If you have ever sat in a meeting thinking, “This could have been an email,” this episode is for you. In this episode, we talk about: * Why connection at work needs to be intentional * The difference between icebreakers and relational strategies * How to create meeting norms that actually help people participate * What to do when one voice dominates the room * How to make decision-making meetings more effective * Why quieter team members may need different ways to contribute * How better meeting design can lead to stronger collaboration Your Supportive Work Besties, Jess & Claude You can connect with Jodie Goldberg at LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/jodie-goldberg-14264663/], Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/fleurishconsultinginc/?hl=en], Facebook [https://www.facebook.com/jodie.g.goldberg/] Send us Fan Mail [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2320118/fan_mail/new] You can watch the full episode on Youtube [https://www.youtube.com/@WorkBestiesWhoPodcast] Follow us on IG [https://www.instagram.com/workbestieswhopodcast/] ,  TikTok [https://www.tiktok.com/@workbestieswhopodcast], Threads [https://www.threads.net/@workbestieswhopodcast?xmt=AQGzJIAlmi4v4GGLkhPG-Dpl-NCWnl2KBIITy7l4BWQ4g3k] and LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/company/105908763/admin/dashboard/] Please rate, comment and provide suggestions for upcoming episodes Work Besties! Theme Song Written by Ralph Lentini @therallyband

Setting Healthy Boundaries at Work with Shannon Petrovich

Have you ever said yes when you really wanted to say no? Or walked away from a conversation feeling drained, anxious, or unsure why it affected you so much? In this episode of Work Besties Who Podcast, Jess and Claude sit down with therapist, coach, author, and YouTube creator Shannon Petrovich to talk about toxic communication patterns, people-pleasing, narcissistic behavior, and how healthy boundaries can help us protect our peace at work and beyond. Shannon shares how toxic relationships can show up in professional settings, why boundaries are not the same as ultimatums, and how to recognize when someone’s behavior is pulling you into old patterns. She also explains why self-talk matters, how journaling can help us process what is happening, and why work besties can play such an important role in helping us respond instead of react. This episode is a reminder that clear is kind, boundaries are healthy, and sometimes the strongest thing you can do is step back, stay grounded, and choose how you want to show up. How to contact Shannon Petrovich New! Group Coaching/Masterclass/Online Support Community Available Now! | No Foggy Days | Out of the FOG Into the CLEAR [https://www.nofoggydays.com/] Send us Fan Mail [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2320118/fan_mail/new] You can watch the full episode on Youtube [https://www.youtube.com/@WorkBestiesWhoPodcast] Follow us on IG [https://www.instagram.com/workbestieswhopodcast/] ,  TikTok [https://www.tiktok.com/@workbestieswhopodcast], Threads [https://www.threads.net/@workbestieswhopodcast?xmt=AQGzJIAlmi4v4GGLkhPG-Dpl-NCWnl2KBIITy7l4BWQ4g3k] and LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/company/105908763/admin/dashboard/] Please rate, comment and provide suggestions for upcoming episodes Work Besties! Theme Song Written by Ralph Lentini @therallyband

Safety = Connection

Have you ever left a meeting thinking, “Why didn’t I just say what I really meant?” In this episode of Work Besties Who Podcast, Jess and Claude sit down with Jennifer Prendergast to talk about truth-telling at work, psychological safety, trauma-informed leadership, and why so many workplace conversations feel harder than they should. Jennifer breaks down how nervous system awareness can help us better understand workplace behavior, feedback, defensiveness, over-explaining, shutting down, and the moments when people do not feel safe enough to speak honestly. This conversation explores why truth-telling is not just about courage, why training does not always create lasting change, and how leaders, teammates, and work besties can create more trust, steadiness, and connection at work. If you have ever wondered why people get reactive, avoid feedback, or struggle to say what they really mean, this episode will help you look at workplace behavior in a whole new way. Send us Fan Mail [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2320118/fan_mail/new] You can watch the full episode on Youtube [https://www.youtube.com/@WorkBestiesWhoPodcast] Follow us on IG [https://www.instagram.com/workbestieswhopodcast/] ,  TikTok [https://www.tiktok.com/@workbestieswhopodcast], Threads [https://www.threads.net/@workbestieswhopodcast?xmt=AQGzJIAlmi4v4GGLkhPG-Dpl-NCWnl2KBIITy7l4BWQ4g3k] and LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/company/105908763/admin/dashboard/] Please rate, comment and provide suggestions for upcoming episodes Work Besties! Theme Song Written by Ralph Lentini @therallyband