We’ve all seen the emails that start with "Now more than ever, we need to talk about wellness." But whose problem is it really?

IN THIS EPISODE

Lars and Aparna are joined by Hebba Youssef, Chief People Officer at Workweek and founder of the "I Hate It Here" newsletter. We’re digging into the $60 billion workplace wellness industry to ask: Are meditation apps and sound baths actually helping, or are they just cheap bandaid solutions that allow companies to avoid fixing structural problems? Hebba shares her raw experience navigating grief and EAPs, the dark side of workplace "weight loss challenges," and why "burnout" is often just a corporate rebrand for workplace depression.

THE QUESTION WE'RE SITTING WITH

Why are wellness programs being used more by managers and not individual contributors? And is it a "benefit" if doesn't change how people experience work?

TAKE THIS WITH YOU

• The "CPO of the People" Standard: Why tiered benefits (where executives get better care than hourly or salaried workers) are a moral system set up to fail.
• Destigmatize the Calendar: Follow the lead of founders who put therapy sessions publicly on their calendars to signal that taking care of yourself is part of the job.
• Exhaustion is Data: Reframe your burnout. If the system is making you sick, the problem isn't your "lack of resilience"—it’s a lack of reciprocity.

RESOURCES MENTIONED

• I Hate It Here — Hebba Youssef’s HR newsletter - https://hateithere.co/
• Maintenance Phase — A podcast exploring the flaws in the wellness industry - https://www.maintenancephase.com/
• Minda Harts — Author of The Memo, discussed regarding trust in the workplace - https://www.mindaharts.com/

CONNECT WITH US

Visit us at https://www.circleback.club/

Aparna on LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/aparnarae; aparnarae.com

Lars on LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/lars-gallien; https://www.larsgallien.com/

Corporate professionalism is often a tool used to isolate us from our coworkers and the world. It’s time to bridge the gap.

IN THIS EPISODE

Aparna and Lars are joined by tech veteran Glenn Block and organizer Abdo Mohamed to dismantle the insistent "professionalism" that prevents us from building meaningful solidarity. We explore the concept of Cross-Class Solidarity - the radical idea that whether you make $60k or $600k, we have more in common with each other than with the corporate structures that stifle our humanity. Abdo shares his experience being fired by Microsoft after organizing a vigil for Gaza, and Glenn discusses the "awakening" that happens when white-collar workers realize their technology is being used to facilitate global harm. This episode is an invitation to stop "keeping the peace" and start building power across the factory floor and the tech campus.

THE QUESTION WE'RE SITTING WITH

When the system is designed to isolate you to keep you compliant, what small move can you make today to reconnect with the collective?

TAKE THIS WITH YOU

• Politicize Your Labor: Understand that your daily tasks - whether coding or data entry - are connected to larger global systems of extraction or empowerment.
• Talk to "Everyone" as a Coworker: Break the hierarchy by building relationships with culinary staff, data center workers, and contractors; we all work for the same machine.
• Reject Purity Politics: Don’t let the fear of not doing "everything" stop you from doing "something." Any small action is better than doomscrolling in isolation.

RESOURCES MENTIONED

• No Azure for Apartheid — A campaign demanding ethical cloud and AI contracts - https://noazureforapartheid.com/
• Tech for Palestine — A community of tech workers organizing for liberation - https://techforpalestine.org/
• Empire of AI by Karen Hao — A book exploring the colonial roots of modern AI - https://bookshop.org/p/books/empire-of-ai-dreams-and-nightmares-in-sam-altman-s-openai-karen-hao/de10c251433f34d2?ean=9780593657522&next=t&next=t&prhc=PRHEFFDF5A7F1
• CODE-CWA & EWOC — Resources for labor organizing and worker training https://code-cwa.org/ | https://workerorganizing.org/

CONNECT WITH US

Circle Back Club: http://circleback.club/

Aparna on LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/aparnarae

Lars on LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/lars-gallien

Email us: pod@circleback.club

The Myth of Self-Advocacy: Beyond the Girl Boss Industrial Complex

We did everything the playbook told us to do—the salary negotiations, the networking, the "leaning in." Why are we still hitting a wall?

IN THIS EPISODE Aparna and Lars are joined by technologist and community builder Hala Saleh to dismantle the myth of self-advocacy. We look back at the era of the "Girl Boss" and the "Queen Bee" to ask: Is individual advancement enough when the system itself is designed to exhaust us? Hala introduces us to mutual aid at work as a survival strategy, moving from "advocating for myself" to "building for each other." From "ghost" job postings to the hierarchy of reciprocity, this episode is a roadmap for those ready to trade professional isolation for collective power.

THE QUESTION WE'RE SITTING WITH When the system is designed to exhaust you individually, what does it mean to win together?

TAKE THIS WITH YOU

• Identify the Reciprocity Gap: Burnout often stems from a lack of reciprocity - where you give 150% and receive only "pennies" in return.
• Hire Your Friends: If you have the power to make spending decisions, use that resource to provide work for those in your community who need it.
• Speak the Name: Commit to speaking someone’s name in a room where they deserve to be acknowledged, recommended, or promoted.

RESOURCES MENTIONED

• Ya Hala — Hala’s community space built around connection and care - https://www.yahalaseattle.com/
• Entitled by Kate Manne — A look at gender dynamics and the pressure on women to "give" without receiving - https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/608442/entitled-by-kate-manne/
• Tech for Palestine & UpScrolled — Examples of alternative platforms built on collective care - https://techforpalestine.org/ | https://upscrolled.com/en/

CONNECT WITH US

Visit us at https://www.circleback.club/

Hala: https://www.linkedin.com/in/halasaleh/; https://halasaleh.substack.com/

Aparna on LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/aparnarae; aparnarae.com

Lars on LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/lars-gallien; https://www.larsgallien.com/