Erika Learns Gen Z Slang & Breaking Down Career Astrology

The Net / Net today is about job hugging.Blitz recap:Last summer was quiet quittingThen we moved to quiet crushingNow we are outright huggingThis is like having a teenager. Defiance turns to angst turns to remorse / insecurity.Job hugging is real, it’s happening and as consumer uncertainty mounts and the year end layoffs arise, it will only be more prevalent.It feels like we are in a time of clinging to what we hold or know to be true.This reminds me of this Wilson Phillips Song. Does anyone remember this music video? I always wanted to have hair like the short blonde.Survive and thrive when the job market feels impossible.Watch the full episode on YouTube. Get full access to WORK at erikaayersbadan.substack.com/subscribe

In 2023 Daniela and I were in Boston for something at Barstool - I can’t remember what exactly. It was spitting snow like it does in the Northeast. I had on my favorite winter hat and got a like from Shit That I Knit. This is how I met Christina Pardy. I liked her instantly - she’s a Masshole. Sweet, gritty, creative, earnest and motivated. I had her come to Barstool and we talked about her company and her vision. I was on here the other day and saw a post from Christina about selling STIT. It was vulnerable and honest. She talked about her mom, lifting weights, skipping the wine and reimagining her future.I think people shy away from talking about the end of things - like there’s something shameful about it. I wanted to have this conversation with Christina to give light and space to the things that don’t work outChristina joined WORK to lay it all out. This is our conversation.Watch the full episode on YouTube. Get full access to WORK at erikaayersbadan.substack.com/subscribe

We have an announcement. We are restructuring the podcast. Starting very soon WORK will be getting published more than once a week with multiple different segments. Stay tuned! See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this episode of WORK, Erika is joined by Kelly Bensimon - former model, Real Housewife of New York, author, and now one of New York’s top luxury real estate brokers - to discuss how reinvention, resilience, and fearlessness have defined her career. Erika also reflects on Gen Z dipping into retirement savings, Jamie Dimon’s advice to step outside your lane, and David Ogilvy’s timeless lessons on owning your shortcomings.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. Get full access to WORK at erikaayersbadan.substack.com/subscribe

In this episode of WORK, Erika is joined by Summer, Noah Tannin, and Alice Hu. Summer decodes Gen Z and Gen Alpha slang, Noah talks about the chaos of creative work at Food52, and Alice explains how astrology helps navigate eclipse season, Mercury retrograde, and career transitions.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. Get full access to WORK at erikaayersbadan.substack.com/subscribe

In this episode of WORK, Erika takes on the state of work and the future of women’s sports. She unpacks why today’s job market feels impossible—from AI-written applications colliding with AI-driven hiring systems to Gallup’s finding that fewer than one in five employees are satisfied at work. With quiet quitting evolving into quiet crashing, she asks what leaders can do when culture is defined by the worst behavior they’re willing to tolerate. Then the conversation shifts to a breakthrough moment for women’s lacrosse. Erika sits down with PLL VP Rachel DeCecco and players Sydney Black, Ally Mastroianni, Lizzie Colson, and Izzy Scane to talk about the league’s first full season in 2026, how they balance day jobs with professional play, and what it means to build a new era for women’s sports.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. Get full access to WORK at erikaayersbadan.substack.com/subscribe

In this episode of WORK, Erika reflects on lessons from the Work Like a Girl event in Boston and why optimism may be the most powerful leadership skill. She then unpacks viral business stories, including the Applebee’s executive who went on to become CEO of IHOP and eventually bought Applebee’s, and Brian Chesky's (Airbnb CEO) reminder that the future waits for no one. Erika also breaks down the surprising stat that three in four Gen Z workers bring their parents into job interviews. Later, Jack Fischer, from the finance team at Food52, joins to share insights on building trust, challenging executive assumptions, and the importance of financial transparency at work. Finally, journalist and photographer Nadja Sayej discusses her career in the gig economy, the decline of traditional journalism, navigating celebrity culture, and how she’s building a creative legacy on her own terms.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. Get full access to WORK at erikaayersbadan.substack.com/subscribe

In this episode of WORK, Erika breaks down the $270K fraud scandal at Food52 and what it reveals about company blind spots. She also tackles Gen Z’s pacifier trend, the rise of quiet cracking as the new quiet quitting, and why overused phrases like “pushing the envelope” miss the mark. She also shares the traits that truly make employees successful—and why focusing on helping others might be the ultimate career advantage.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. Get full access to WORK at erikaayersbadan.substack.com/subscribe

In this episode of WORK, Erika explores why generosity has become a lost art in today’s workplace—and why bringing it back can change everything. From the pitfalls of corporate “wellness weeks” to a failed launch that turned into one of her team’s most constructive conversations, she shows how giving time, feedback, and attention can transform culture. Along the way, Erika unpacks TD Bank’s clever ad campaign, a viral firing story from India, Elon Musk’s controversial management style, and the future beyond smartphones, before closing with a teaching segment on active listening as one of the most generous skills you can bring to work.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. Get full access to WORK at erikaayersbadan.substack.com/subscribe

In this episode of WORK, Erika introduces Food52's new resident Test Kitchen creator Isabelle Jardin, who shares her love of cookbook clubs and entertaining. Erika's also joined by Helena Shannon, who shares how nine years of sobriety have fueled her clarity, confidence, and career growth—turning consciousness into a true workplace superpower. From remembering every name in the room to speaking up with conviction, Helena shows how living alcohol-free can sharpen your professional edge. Erika also touches on some current event topics including revealing AI tools advising women and minorities to ask for lower salaries than men—proof that bias is built into our technology. With candid conversations, practical takeaways, and a quick strategery segment on what “breaking down the silos” really means, this episode offers fresh insight for anyone looking to thrive at work while challenging the systems that hold us back.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. Get full access to WORK at erikaayersbadan.substack.com/subscribe