{"podcast":{"title":"FRIED. The Burnout Podcast","slug":"fried-the-burnout-podcast-88086","podcast_index_feed_id":88086,"rss_url":"https://feeds.redcircle.com/e4c0db0a-98a4-47e6-a2b0-6a291469e1d6","website_url":"https://redcircle.com/shows/fried-the-burnout-podcast","image_url":"https://media.redcircle.com/images/2026/1/5/0/9f772521-fc39-4569-99aa-44b2580941d3_fried_logo_2026.jpg","author":"Cait Donovan, Top Burnout Expert for Corporate and Nonprofit Organizations","episode_count":348,"summary":"FRIED: The Burnout Podcast by BurnBOLD™ BurnBOLD™ is the powerhouse matchup of burnout experts Cait Donovan and Sarah Vosen. Together, they host FRIED as part of their mission to #endburnoutculture — with deep, real, and sometimes hilariously practical advice (yes, like #peewhenyouneedtopee). Each week, you’ll hear raw stories, powerful coaching sessions, and practical strategies to help you drop the shame, blame, guilt, and judgment so you can heal from burnout and rebuild your life. Cait works globally as a keynote speaker and workshop leader, helping organizations and associations create burnout-proof cultures. Sarah guides individuals through burnout recovery using her signature UNFRIED process, working one-on-one or in small groups with people all over the world. Wherever you are in your burnout journey, FRIED is here to help you BurnBOLD™ and take your life back.","last_synced_at":null,"page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/fried-the-burnout-podcast-88086"},"episode":{"title":"Mattering at Work: The Missing Leadership Skill Driving Engagement, Retention, and Burnout Recovery | Zach Mercurio","slug":"mattering-at-work-the-missing-leadership-skill-driving-engagement-retention-and-burnout-recovery-zach-mercurio","published_at":"2026-02-22T05:00:32+00:00","page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/fried-the-burnout-podcast-88086/mattering-at-work-the-missing-leadership-skill-driving-engagement-retention-and-burnout-recovery-zach-mercurio","show_page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/fried-the-burnout-podcast-88086","url":"https://redcircle.com/shows/e4c0db0a-98a4-47e6-a2b0-6a291469e1d6/episodes/732dd931-b516-49a4-9547-3d388199a98a","audio_url":"https://audio4.redcircle.com/episodes/732dd931-b516-49a4-9547-3d388199a98a/stream.mp3","summary":"Belonging might get you on the team, but if burnout is a systems problem, then mattering is a systems solution. Cait sits down with Zach Mercurio, PhD, author of The Power of Mattering, to examine why engagement continues to decline even in organizations investing heavily in culture initiatives. If burnout is a systems problem, then addressing workplace burnout requires more than resilience training. It requires redesigning how leaders show up in everyday interactions. Zach breaks down the difference between belonging, inclusion, and mattering. Belonging is being welcomed. Inclusion is being invited to participate. Mattering is knowing you are significant and needed. That experience is built moment by moment when leaders notice, affirm, and show people how their contributions make a measurable difference. These small interactions directly influence organizational health and shape the employee experience. Cait brings a biological lens to the conversation, exploring how chronic workplace stress and cortisol are connected to feeling unseen or replaceable. Research shows that when people feel they matter, stress markers decrease and exhaustion drops. That insight reframes the structural causes of burnout. This is not just about mindset alone but systems, expectations, and leadership behavior. The conversation also addresses leadership burnout. Managers are overloaded with KPIs, administrative demands, and hybrid communication that erodes psychological safety at work. When leaders rush, care disappears and hurry replaces presence, burnout culture takes root. If burnout is a systems problem, then culture is built or broken in the accumulation of daily interactions. You will get a useful framework based on three main actions which are noticing, affirming, and needing. You can…","meta_description":"Belonging might get you on the team, but if burnout is a systems problem, then mattering is a systems solution. Cait sits down with Zach Mercurio, PhD, au…","key_points":[],"chapters":[],"topics":[],"duration_seconds":3045,"processing_state":"not_requested","actions":[{"name":"request_transcript","method":"POST","url":"https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/fried-the-burnout-podcast-88086/episodes/mattering-at-work-the-missing-leadership-skill-driving-engagement-retention-and-burnout-recovery-zach-mercurio/transcription-requests","description":"Idempotently request low-priority transcript generation for this episode."},{"name":"read_markdown","method":"GET","url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/fried-the-burnout-podcast-88086/mattering-at-work-the-missing-leadership-skill-driving-engagement-retention-and-burnout-recovery-zach-mercurio.md","description":"Read the agent-friendly Markdown representation of this episode resource."}]}}