Hello Monday with Jessi Hempel

Ambition. Is it a dirty word? Do you love the term, or hate it? In this Hello Monday episode from the archives, Jessi Hempel sits down with two incredible colleagues at LinkedIn, Hayley Saltzman and Ahyiana Angel, to explore how our understanding of ambition evolves, and what it means to chase personal growth rather than external validation.

Hayley Saltzman is an Editor at Large at LinkedIn, focusing on vertical video strategy. Ahyiana Angel was the Podcast Ad Ops Producer at LinkedIn and the host of her own podcast called Switch, Pivot, or Quit. Together, they reflect on how ambition is often shaped by external expectations and how true fulfillment comes when we start living for ourselves.

In this episode, Jessi, Ahyiana, and Hayley discuss:

The tension between extrinsic and intrinsic ambition

Our gendered notions of ambition, and how society’s definition of ambition is often limiting for women

What happens when you quit a dream job to pursue something more aligned with personal growth

The relationship between fear and ambition

Practical tips for reconnecting with your own ambitions and self-worth

If you've ever questioned what success and ambition truly mean for you, this episode is for you. Whether you're navigating career transitions or redefining what ambition looks like in your life, we hope this conversation will inspire you to live and work authentically.

What if the very habits that made you successful are now the ones holding you back?

In this episode of Hello Monday, host Jessi Hempel is joined by executive coach and leadership expert Muriel Wilkins to explore the hidden beliefs that quietly shape how we lead and make decisions. These “blocking beliefs”—like I need it done now, if I can do it, so can you—often begin as strengths. But over time, they can fuel burnout, micromanagement, and disengaged teams.

Drawing from her new book, Leadership Unblocked, Muriel offers a practical framework for identifying the beliefs that no longer serve us and replacing them with more flexible, sustainable ways of leading—without losing ambition, standards, or control. Together, Jessi and Muriel unpack how leaders can expand their range, lead with greater ease, and grow their organizations by first growing themselves.

In this conversation, you’ll learn:


What “blocking beliefs” are and how they develop over the course of a career


A three-step process for uncovering, unpacking, and unblocking limiting beliefs


Why urgency and perfectionism often undermine leadership effectiveness


How the belief “I need it done now” contributes to burnout and unclear priorities


How the truth of our external environment can be reframed in the narrative we tell ourselves


How to stop micromanaging without sacrificing accountability

We are no longer hosting weekly Office Hours but are thrilled to launch the Hello Monday Book Club. If you’re interested in joining, send us an email at [email protected] and let us know!

What is your dream job? What will your life look like in ten years? Kick off the New Year with a favorite Hello Monday activity: the Dream Job Exercise. 

In this episode, host Jessi Hempel kicks off the new year with a powerful ritual she returns to every January: the Dream Job Exercise. It’s not about chasing a title or predicting the future—it’s about reclaiming imagination, agency, and hope in a moment when many professionals feel stuck or anxious about what comes next.

Jessi explains why imagination may be the most essential career skill of the next decade—and how a simple writing exercise can help you clarify what you really want from your work and your life.

Jessi walks listeners step by step through the Dream Job Exercise, sharing why looking 10 years ahead creates space to stop editing yourself and start dreaming again. Along the way, she reflects on how this practice helped her land a version of her own dream role—and why it can work as a decision-making filter in an era of constant change.

In this episode, Jessi explores:

The role of hope and personal agency in navigating career change

Why imagination is a critical future-of-work skill

How the Dream Job Exercise helps clarify what you actually want

Why looking 10 years ahead unlocks bolder career thinking

How this exercise can guide better career decisions year after year

Whether you’re questioning your next move, feeling unsettled in a job you once loved, or simply craving more clarity as the year begins, this episode offers a grounding reset—and a practical tool to help you move forward with intention.

This week, a show about work brings you an episode about time away from work, and why we all need it. We hope you enjoy this classic holiday rerun from Hello Monday's very first year of production featuring some favorite vacation stories, and we’ll see you in the new year!

Uncertainty has become a defining feature of modern work. From shifting economic signals to rapid technological change, many professionals feel stuck in a constant state of not knowing—and they’re exhausted by it. In today's episode, Jessi Hempel sits down with journalist and behavioral scientist Elizabeth Weingarten to explore how asking better questions --not demanding faster answers--can help us navigate uncertainty. 

Elizabeth is the author of How to Fall In Love With Questions. Her work focuses on uncertainty, decision-making, and how curiosity can help us build more meaningful lives and careers. In this conversation, she challenges the culture of binary thinking, and offers a powerful framework for living well in the unknown.

Elizabeth and Jessi discuss:

Why our tolerance for uncertainty is shrinking—and how technology plays a role

The danger of binary questions and why “yes or no” often isn’t the right frame

How to change the relationship we have to our questions

Burnout, work, and what happens when we stop asking meaningful questions

How to use questions as an internal GPS for career and life decisions

We are no longer hosting weekly Office Hours but are thrilled to launch the Hello Monday Book Club starting in 2026. If you’re interested in joining, send us an email at [email protected] and let us know!