# “Can Work Be Fun?” with Bree Groff, workplace expert and author of “Today was Fun,” and Mary Kate Stimmler, Practitioner Fellow at the Center for Advanced Studies in Behavioral Sciences at Stanford

Page: https://stenobird.com/podcast/future-of-hr-5657632/can-work-be-fun-with-bree-groff-workplace-expert-and-author-of-today-was-fun-and-mary-kate-stimmler-practitioner-fellow-at-the-center-for-advanced-studies-in-behavioral-sciences-at-stanford
Text version: https://stenobird.com/podcast/future-of-hr-5657632/can-work-be-fun-with-bree-groff-workplace-expert-and-author-of-today-was-fun-and-mary-kate-stimmler-practitioner-fellow-at-the-center-for-advanced-studies-in-behavioral-sciences-at-stanford.md
Podcast: [Future of HR](https://stenobird.com/podcast/future-of-hr-5657632)
Published: 2026-04-14T10:00:00+00:00
Episode link: https://rss.com/podcasts/futureofhr/2733393
Audio file: https://content.rss.com/episodes/138385/2733393/futureofhr/2026_04_14_03_37_07_2beff058-de3e-4685-b013-c2b3c6b748a8.mp3
Processing state: not_requested
JSON: https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/future-of-hr-5657632/episodes/can-work-be-fun-with-bree-groff-workplace-expert-and-author-of-today-was-fun-and-mary-kate-stimmler-practitioner-fellow-at-the-center-for-advanced-studies-in-behavioral-sciences-at-stanford
Duration seconds: 3054

## Resource

How can leaders make work both fun and drive high-performance? Why do the high performers find joy in intense work? My guests on this episode are Bree Groff, workplace expert and author of “Today was Fun,” and Mary Kate Stimmler, Practitioner Fellow at the Center for Advanced Studies in Behavioral Sciences at Stanford During our conversation, Bree, Mary Kate, and I discuss the following: Why the belief that high performance requires pressure and sacrifice is flawed How leaders can design work that creates energy, not burnout Why “fun” at work is about experience, not perks Why stress undermines creativity and long-term performance How small, everyday moments shape culture more than large-scale initiatives Connecting with Bree and Mary Kate presenters: Connect with Bree Groff on LinkedIn Learn more about Bree’s book, “Today Was Fun: A Book About Work (Seriously) Connect with Mary Kate Stimmler on LinkedIn Episode Sponsor: Next-Gen HR Accelerator - Learn more about this best-in-class leadership development program for next-gen HR leaders HR Leader’s Blueprint - 18 pages of real-world advice from 100+ HR thought leaders. Simple, actionable, and proven strategies to advance your career. Succession Planning Playbook : In this focused 1-page resource, I cut through the noise to give you the vital elements that define what “great” succession planning looks like.

## Actions

- request_transcript: `POST https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/future-of-hr-5657632/episodes/can-work-be-fun-with-bree-groff-workplace-expert-and-author-of-today-was-fun-and-mary-kate-stimmler-practitioner-fellow-at-the-center-for-advanced-studies-in-behavioral-sciences-at-stanford/transcription-requests` — Idempotently request low-priority transcript generation for this episode.
- read_markdown: `GET https://stenobird.com/podcast/future-of-hr-5657632/can-work-be-fun-with-bree-groff-workplace-expert-and-author-of-today-was-fun-and-mary-kate-stimmler-practitioner-fellow-at-the-center-for-advanced-studies-in-behavioral-sciences-at-stanford.md` — Read the agent-friendly Markdown representation of this episode resource.

A page view does not enqueue transcription. Agents should invoke `request_transcript` explicitly when they need this episode processed.

## Transcript

Full transcripts are not published on public pages unless there is a clear rights basis.