Episode 65: When Disney Was Not The Happiest Place on Earth for Me - The Importance of Actually Taking Time Off

Episode 65: When Disney Was Not The Happiest Place on Earth for Me - The Importance of Actually Taking Time Off

Last week, I had the true honor of speaking at the SHRM [https://mcas-proxyweb.mcas.ms/certificate-checker?login=false&originalUrl=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.linkedin.com.mcas.ms%2Fcompany%2Fshrm%2F%3FMcasTsid%3D20893&McasCSRF=e7af7df43294ea1cc45b92db24cd30903e6a28acb2bcf24d56cc9d4da76e0055] Annual Conference. The event was held in Orlando, FL, home to Walt Disney World [https://mcas-proxyweb.mcas.ms/certificate-checker?login=false&originalUrl=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.linkedin.com.mcas.ms%2Fcompany%2Fwalt-disney-world%2F%3FMcasTsid%3D20893&McasCSRF=e7af7df43294ea1cc45b92db24cd30903e6a28acb2bcf24d56cc9d4da76e0055], the Happiest Place on Earth. 🏰 While being in Orlando always brings back incredibly fond memories😃, there is one experience which I'd like to forget. It was the vacation I cut short, leaving my family behind, because I "had to" work. ❌❌❌ Friends - taking time away from work isn't a luxury—it's a necessity. Stepping back from the daily grind prevents burnout, sharpens focus, and boosts our efficiency when we return. Just as importantly, real rest protects our physical💪 and mental🧠 well-being and enriches the lives we live outside the office. The evidence is clear: people who take genuine breaks come back more creative, more resilient, and more engaged.💡 In the latest episode of the Like A Boss Podcast, I discuss that this culture shift starts at the top.🔝 Leaders have a responsibility actively to encourage their teams to take time off—and to mean it. That means modeling the behavior ourselves by genuinely unplugging, rather than sending the unspoken message that vacation🌴is optional. It may even mean considering a policy that mandates PTO, so that rest 😴 becomes an expectation rather than a privilege employees feel guilty for using. When leaders treat time away as essential, they build🔨 healthier, happier, and ultimately more productive teams. Let's lead by example!!! As always, thank you so much for watching, commenting and sharing! ❤️🫶🙏

Episode 64: Leadership Education is the Silver Bullet

This week I have the honor of speaking at the best HR Conference👑of the year - the SHRM [https://mcas-proxyweb.mcas.ms/certificate-checker?login=false&originalUrl=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.linkedin.com.mcas.ms%2Ffeed%2F%3FMcasTsid%3D20893&McasCSRF=e7af7df43294ea1cc45b92db24cd30903e6a28acb2bcf24d56cc9d4da76e0055] Annual Conference, in Orlando, Florida🌞. Spending meaningful time with the most dedicated human resources professionals in the world not only is inspiring, but it provides a crucial reminder about the importance of leadership education. 👩‍🏫 I’ve said it before - I truly believe that education is the silver bullet for transforming leadership culture. Our managers simply cannot be their best selves without it! Leadership capability does not happen by accident; it requires continuous, intentional learning. To unlock 🔓 peak performance and cultivate safe, thriving workplaces, every progressive leadership team must master the "Big 5" core pillars: 1️⃣ Harassment Prevention and Correction (essential in light of recent government action) 2️⃣ Modernized Interviewing and Hiring (AI ain't going away!) 3️⃣ Performance Management in the Age of Empathy (mental health awareness if critical) 4️⃣ The ABCs of the FMLA and ADA (managers must recognize requests!) 5️⃣ Implicit Bias - Moving Beyond Awareness (we all got it!) Equipping leaders with these foundational tools is the single most powerful way to build high-trust organizations where people feel truly valued. In the latest episode of my Like a Boss podcast, I break down exactly how comprehensive education eliminates systemic friction and empowers managers to lead with ultimate confidence. Watch the full video 📽️ to discover how to transform leadership training from an optional checkbox into your organization's essential, strategic powerhouse! As always, thank you so much for watching, commenting and sharing! Duane Morris LLP [https://mcas-proxyweb.mcas.ms/certificate-checker?login=false&originalUrl=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.linkedin.com.mcas.ms%2Ffeed%2F%3FMcasTsid%3D20893&McasCSRF=e7af7df43294ea1cc45b92db24cd30903e6a28acb2bcf24d56cc9d4da76e0055] #shrm26 #shrm #leadership

Episode 63: How A Company Turned an Employee's Transition Into Culture Transformation

Pride Month🌈 is a time to celebrate—and to reflect on how we show up for the LGBTQ+ community in our workplaces. Today, through my Like A Boss Podcast, I want to share a story about transgender rights in practice and the massively positive impact it had on an organization's culture. 💕 Several years ago, a valued employee at a company I work with came out as transgender and began their transition. Leadership leaned in. They reached out to me to conduct comprehensive harassment prevention trainings, focused on LGBTQ+ issues—covering respectful pronoun usage, legal protections, and everyday allyship. Then they took a less conventional step - a step that sent a very loud and unambiguously clear message of inclusion.🫂 With the employee's full consent, the company invited their therapist—a clinician specializing in gender identity—to speak to the entire staff. Without sharing confidential details, the therapist educated the team on what gender dysphoria is, what transition means, and how coworkers can be a source of strength during one of the most vulnerable periods in a person's life. The impact was remarkable. Fear gave way to empathy. Awkwardness gave way to genuine support. The transitioning employee later shared they had never felt more seen in their career. Retention improved, engagement scores rose, and other LGBTQ+ employees began to feel safe bringing their whole selves to work. This is what transgender rights in the workplace look like—not checking a box, but building an environment where dignity is protected and education replaces ignorance before harm takes root. If your organization hasn't thought about how it would support a transitioning employee, Pride Month is the perfect time to start. Invest in training. Bring in experts. Lead with compassion. Happy Pride to all who celebrate, and to all still finding the courage to be themselves. We see you. 🌈 Duane Morris LLP [https://mcas-proxyweb.mcas.ms/certificate-checker?login=false&originalUrl=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.linkedin.com.mcas.ms%2Ffeed%2F%3FMcasTsid%3D20893&McasCSRF=e7af7df43294ea1cc45b92db24cd30903e6a28acb2bcf24d56cc9d4da76e0055] Human Rights Campaign [https://mcas-proxyweb.mcas.ms/certificate-checker?login=false&originalUrl=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.linkedin.com.mcas.ms%2Ffeed%2F%3FMcasTsid%3D20893&McasCSRF=e7af7df43294ea1cc45b92db24cd30903e6a28acb2bcf24d56cc9d4da76e0055] #pridemonth #transrights #leadership Apple Podcasts [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/like-a-boss-with-michael-cohen/id1880393211] Spotify [https://open.spotify.com/show/20huBMzosx7v8mku3HeM6O?si=d1a20680e7244a44&nd=1&dlsi=936d534dc9d74c9e] Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/likeaboss.podcast/] Youtube [https://www.youtube.com.mcas.ms/channel/UCSn2zKCDDrhHbWrwfpBHc4g]

Episode 62: A Very Personal Message for Pride Month 🏳️‍🌈 (and for ALL the other months)

When I was a kid, my "Uncle" Stevie (my dad's best friend) was my favorite person in the entire world.👑 He was the kindest and most thoughtful person I knew and Steve was the true embodiment of the word "mensch." A gay man without his own children, Uncle Stevie treated my brother and me as though we were his kids and we treasured every moment spent with Uncle Stevie. Tragically, as you will hear in today's Like A Boss Podcast (below), in the 1980s Steve contracted the AIDS virus and passed away. 💔 Rarely does a day go by without my thinking about Uncle Stevie. The stark reality is that LGBTQ+ rights and, in many cases, LGBTQ+ members of our community, themselves, are under attack. In our workplaces, many of our LGBTQ+ employees, allies and colleagues feel unseen, feel worried and feel targeted. While there are so many different things we can do, day-to-day, to support this community, I discuss 4️⃣: 🌈 Ensuring inclusive language in policies and communications 🌈 Creating and maintaining a safe and supportive work environment 🌈 Providing education 🌈 Being an ally I miss Uncle Stevie every single day. 🥹 In this #PrideMonth, and in honor of the best man I've ever known, I ask you PLEASE to watch, PLEASE to comment and PLEASE to share your thoughts and this post. #lgbtq #lgbtqrights #pridemonth #leadership #hrc (please tag the following Duane Morris LLP [https://mcas-proxyweb.mcas.ms/certificate-checker?login=false&originalUrl=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.linkedin.com.mcas.ms%2Ffeed%2F%3FMcasTsid%3D20893&McasCSRF=e7af7df43294ea1cc45b92db24cd30903e6a28acb2bcf24d56cc9d4da76e0055] Duane Morris Institute [https://mcas-proxyweb.mcas.ms/certificate-checker?login=false&originalUrl=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.linkedin.com.mcas.ms%2Ffeed%2F%3FMcasTsid%3D20893&McasCSRF=e7af7df43294ea1cc45b92db24cd30903e6a28acb2bcf24d56cc9d4da76e0055] Human Rights Campaign [https://mcas-proxyweb.mcas.ms/certificate-checker?login=false&originalUrl=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.linkedin.com.mcas.ms%2Ffeed%2F%3FMcasTsid%3D20893&McasCSRF=e7af7df43294ea1cc45b92db24cd30903e6a28acb2bcf24d56cc9d4da76e0055] Lambda Legal [https://mcas-proxyweb.mcas.ms/certificate-checker?login=false&originalUrl=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.linkedin.com.mcas.ms%2Ffeed%2F%3FMcasTsid%3D20893&McasCSRF=e7af7df43294ea1cc45b92db24cd30903e6a28acb2bcf24d56cc9d4da76e0055])

Episode 61 - Lessons on the ADA Interactive Process from Bill Murray and the Movie "What About Bob"

In a comedically poignant moment in the 1991 movie "What About Bob," Bill Murray painstakingly recites the list of all of his (real and perceived) ailments. While the scene is hyperbolic and laugh-out-loud funny, it provides a situation which organizations and leaders find themselves in all the time. Disclosures require action. Is your organization ready? Are you leaders prepared? Do we all understand our responsibilities under the Americans With Disabilities Act? For organizations, one of the most critical and often misunderstood obligations is the interactive process under the ADA. When an employee discloses a mental health or physical condition — whether formally or informally — the ADA requires employers to engage in a good-faith, interactive dialogue to identify reasonable accommodations. This isn't a box-checking exercise. It's a collaborative conversation and requires an individualized assessment. It must be taken seriously every single time. But here's the part that often gets overlooked: the interactive process can only begin if disclosures are recognized and reported. That's where leadership comes in. Managers, supervisors, and team leads are frequently the first people an employee turns to when they're struggling. A passing comment about severe migraines, a request for schedule flexibility due to medical appointments, or a mention of difficulty concentrating because of depression — these can all constitute disclosures under the ADA, even if the employee never uses the word "accommodation" or "disability." Organizations that train their leaders to recognize disclosures, take them seriously, and engage meaningfully in the interactive process aren't just mitigating legal exposure — they're telling their people, "We see you, and we're committed to supporting you." As we close out Mental Health Awareness Month, it's worth pausing to reflect on what meaningful support for employees actually looks like — not just in May, but year-round. Let's carry the conversation forward. Invest in training. Empower your leaders. And make the interactive process what it's supposed to be: a bridge to keeping talented people thriving in the workplace. #MentalHealthAwarenessMonth #Leadership #HumanResources #MentalHealth #ADA @duane morris