Clock In with Emily Durham

PRE-ORDER CLOCK IN: https://emilydurham.org/clock-in
Being liked at work is not the same as being respected — and confusing the two can quietly stall your career.
In this episode, I break down the difference between being an office celebrity and a personality hire, why one leads to promotions, credibility, and career growth while the other often hits a ceiling, and how being “fun,” “easy,” or “great culture fit” at work can actually hurt your long-term professional reputation.
We talk about workplace visibility vs value, how managers really decide who gets promoted, why personality hires are often overlooked for leadership roles, and what to do if you feel visible at work but not taken seriously. This episode is especially for high performers who feel stuck despite working hard, getting praise, or being well liked by their team.
If you want to grow your career, earn respect at work, and stop being boxed into the personality hire role, this episode matters.

Got a career question you want answered on the show? Submit it here! 🎧 Listen to Clock In for real career talk, job search advice, and unfiltered recruiter insights — new episodes every Wednesday.

If you’re ambitious, driven, and still feel like you’re constantly behind, this episode is for you.

In this episode of Clock In, I’m joined by Israa Nassir, trained-therapist, writer, and mental health advocate, to break down toxic productivity — why high achievers are especially prone to it, and how ambition can quietly turn into anxiety, burnout, and chronic self-pressure.

We unpack:

Why productivity culture makes even successful people feel like they’re failing

How ambition gets tied to self-worth and identity

Why rest feels uncomfortable (or even unsafe) for high performers

How “doing more” becomes a coping mechanism, not a strategy

What a healthier relationship with work actually looks like

If you’ve ever felt guilty for slowing down, anxious when you’re not being productive, or like no amount of success ever feels like enough — this conversation will help you understand why you feel this way, and how to start breaking the cycle.

About the guest:

Israa Nassir is a trained-therapist, speaker, and the author of Toxic Productivity. Her work focuses on burnout, emotional resilience, and unlearning hustle culture. You can learn more about her work at israanasir.com and pick up her book here: https://www.israanasir.com/toxic-productivity

New episodes of Clock In with Emily Durham drop weekly. 

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Got a career question you want answered on the show? Submit it here! 🎧 Listen to Clock In for real career talk, job search advice, and unfiltered recruiter insights — new episodes every Wednesday.

PRE ORDER CLOCK IN: https://emilydurham.org/clock-in
AHHH! I AM NOT OVER THIS EPISODE! SO MUCH TO TELL YOU!!! But also.
January hits different. The motivation crash is real, the anxiety is loud, and suddenly everything feels… urgent. In this episode, we’re talking about The January Scaries — why they happen, why you’re not broken for feeling them, and how to calm your nervous system when the year feels like it’s already asking too much of you.
PLUS: huge life updates (the kind I’d only tell you) and a WWED (What Would Emily Do) segment where we get into real listener dilemmas — careers, confidence, boundaries, and the quiet panic of “am I doing enough with my life?”
If you’re feeling behind, overwhelmed, or weirdly emotional for no clear reason — this one’s for you.

Got a career question you want answered on the show? Submit it here! 🎧 Listen to Clock In for real career talk, job search advice, and unfiltered recruiter insights — new episodes every Wednesday.

PRE ORDER Clock In: https://emilydurham.org/clock-in
If you feel behind, confused, or low-key panicked because you still don’t know what you want to do with your life — this episode is for you.
In today’s job market, the pressure to have a “dream career” figured out is unrealistic, outdated, and honestly… unhelpful. In this episode, I’m breaking down why not knowing your end goal isn’t the problem — and what you should be focusing on instead.
We’ll walk through a practical, no-BS career mapping framework that helps you move forward without needing a 10-year plan, a passion epiphany, or a quarter-life crisis meltdown.
In this episode, you’ll learn:
Why “finding your passion” is terrible career advice
How to build career momentum even when you feel lost
The difference between a career goal and a career direction
How to make smart next moves without locking yourself into the wrong path
What to focus on when you don’t know your long-term plan — but still want to make more money, gain confidence, and stop feeling stuck
This episode is your permission slip to stop spiraling, stop comparing, and start making strategic moves that actually compound over time.
You don’t need to know what you want to do with your life, you just need a map.

Got a career question you want answered on the show? Submit it here! 🎧 Listen to Clock In for real career talk, job search advice, and unfiltered recruiter insights — new episodes every Wednesday.

Your job can’t love you back — but that doesn’t mean a layoff won’t hurt.
This week, I’m joined by Ilana Dunn, host of Seeing Other People and one of the most thoughtful voices on dating, self-worth, and navigating major life transitions online. Ilana went through a layoff herself, and together we unpack what happens when your career rug gets pulled out from under you.
We talk about the emotional whiplash of layoffs, why so many high performers get cut, and how to rethink your identity when the job you built your life around disappears. We also dig into career pivots — how to tell when one is a strategic move versus a fear-based reaction.
We get into:
Why layoffs are rarely personal (even when they feel devastating)
The grief, shame, and panic no one warns you about
Rebuilding confidence after being “cut”
When a career pivot is actually a power move
Why tying your self-worth to your job will always backfire
Follow Ilana on Instagram  and check out her podcast Seeing Other People for honest conversations about dating, identity, and becoming yourself again.
https://www.instagram.com/seeingotherpeople/
https://www.instagram.com/ilanadunn/
If you’ve ever stayed loyal to a company that wouldn’t hesitate to replace you, this episode is your reminder: your career should serve you, not the other way around.

Got a career question you want answered on the show? Submit it here! 🎧 Listen to Clock In for real career talk, job search advice, and unfiltered recruiter insights — new episodes every Wednesday.