Truth, Lies and Work

Welcome back to Truth, Lies & Work, the award-winning workplace podcast where behavioural science meets workplace culture. We are part of the HubSpot Podcast Network, the audio destination for business professionals.

In this special LinkedIn Live edition, hosts Al Elliott and Leanne Elliott are joined by three world-class experts to tackle one of the most pressing questions of the modern era: If machines are increasingly doing the thinking for us, what happens to our own ability to think?

🔥 Discussion Highlights

1. The Irony of Automation
We dive into the "irony of automation," a theory from the 1980s stating that as we automate complex tasks, humans shift from "operators" to "supervisors." Over time, the critical skills needed to intervene or judge quality begin to weaken. We explore how this is playing out in today’s knowledge work.

2. Writing as a Thinking Tool
Charli Nordone explains why writing isn’t just communication—it’s how we process and structure our thoughts. When we outsource the first draft to AI, are we accidentally outsourcing the very thinking that makes our work valuable?

3. The Case for Human Authenticity
Gabrielle Dolan highlights the "AI vs. AI" loop, where machines write resumes and machines screen them. She argues that in a world of machine-generated content, authentic, personal storytelling is the only way to build genuine trust and connection.

4. Leadership & Curiosity
Paul Spiers discusses why leaders must move beyond seeing AI as a "productivity plug-in" and instead treat it as a foundational change. He shares how to foster "curiosity with context" to ensure employees feel empowered rather than replaced.

📬 Connect with Al & Leanne

– LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/truthlieswork
– Al Elliott: https://www.linkedin.com/in/thisisalelliott
– Leanne Elliott: https://www.linkedin.com/in/meetleanne
– Email: [email protected]
– Book a call: https://savvycal.com/meetleanne/chat

🎙️ Connect with our Guests

Charli Nordone


Website: www.thebetterwritingstore.com


LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/charlinordone/


Instagram: www.instagram.com/betterwritingstore

Gabrielle Dolan


Website: gabrielledolan.com


LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gabrielledolan/


Instagram: @gabrielledolan.1

Paul Spiers


Website: paulspiers.com | principlesandleadership.com


LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/paulspiers/

🆘 Mental Health Support

UK & ROI — Samaritans Call 116 123 or visit samaritans.org

UK — Mind Call 0300 123 3393 or visit mind.org.uk

US — Suicide & Crisis Lifeline Call or text 988 or visit 988lifeline.org

Australia — Lifeline Call 13 11 14 or visit lifeline.org.au

Global helplines: findahelpline.com

Welcome back to Truth, Lies & Work, the award-winning workplace podcast where behavioral science meets workplace culture. Part of the HubSpot Podcast Network, the audio destination for business professionals.

If you’re a founder who has built something brilliant but finds the idea of 'selling' it a little bit icky, this episode is for you. Today, we’re joined by Thomas Waites, a fractional Chief Revenue Officer and startup advisor who has scaled multiple companies from seed stage to successful acquisition.

Thomas takes a refreshingly contrarian view of sales. He argues that the very traits many founders think disqualify them from sales—honesty, empathy, and a hatred for pushiness—are actually their greatest competitive advantages.

🔥 What we cover in this episode:


The "Rainmaker" Reimagined: Why a Chief Revenue Officer (CRO) is about more than just closing deals—it’s about owning the entire customer revenue journey.


The Tattoo Bet: The incredible story of how a team culture of "tattoo bets" led Thomas to ink a bull on his shoulder after closing a massive deal with 40,000 Warner Brothers employees.


Sales for STEM Founders: How highly analytical, introverted founders can become world-class at sales by treating it like an engineering problem.


The 75/25 Rule: Why the best salespeople speak only 25% of the time and how "negative reverse selling" can turn a 'no' into a 'yes' by simply respecting the prospect's boundaries.


Building Your Sales Team: Why your first hire should NOT be a VP of Sales or a CRO, and the specific progression founders should follow to scale their revenue.

🧠 Key Takeaways


Honesty is a Competitive Advantage: Most prospects expect to be lied to. When you are transparent about what your product can’t do, you build instant, unshakeable trust.


Sell to Emotions, Not Just Logic: While logic supports a purchase, emotions drive it. Avoid "information overload" and focus on the pain you are solving.


Hire Junior First: Start with a Business Development Representative (BDR) to fill the pipeline while you, the founder, continue to close. Only bring in a senior sales leader once the process is proven.

🔗 Connect with Thomas Waites
– Website: https://twsales.com
– Live Call-In Show: https://twsales.com/live-call-in-show/
– LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/thomaswaites/

📬 Connect with Al & Leanne
– LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/truthlieswork
– Al Elliott: https://www.linkedin.com/in/thisisalelliott
– Leanne Elliott: https://www.linkedin.com/in/meetleanne
– Email: [email protected]
– Book a call: https://savvycal.com/meetleanne/chat

Mental health support
UK & ROI — Samaritans Call 116 123 or visit https://www.samaritans.org
UK — Mind Call 0300 123 3393 or visit https://www.mind.org.uk
US — Suicide & Crisis Lifeline Call or text 988 or visit https://988lifeline.org
Australia — Lifeline Call 13 11 14 or visit https://www.lifeline.org.au
Global helplines
https://findahelpline.com

Welcome back to Truth, Lies & Work, the award-winning podcast where behavioral science meets workplace culture. Part of the HubSpot Podcast Network.

This week, we explore Microsoft’s new retirement strategy, NVIDIA’s radical management secrets, and the one wellbeing investment most businesses are overlooking. Plus, we debunk a legendary psychological model and answer your burning questions about toxic top performers and small business culture.

🔥 Stories Covered

1. Is Microsoft Quietly

Microsoft has launched a first-of-its-kind voluntary retirement program for U.S. employees whose age plus years of service equals 70 or more.


The Targeted Group: Open to staff at senior director level and below.


The Strategic Shift: While framed as giving employees choice, it comes as Microsoft pivots heavily toward AI infrastructure, potentially reshaping its traditional software workforce.


Reward Changes: The company is also decoupling stock awards from cash bonuses to give managers more flexibility in rewarding high performers.
Source: https://www.cnbc.com/2026/04/23/microsoft-plans-first-voluntary-retirement-program-for-us-employees.html

2. The $5 Trillion CEO: Jensen Huang’s Radical Rules

NVIDIA recently crossed the $5 trillion mark, and CEO Jensen Huang did it by breaking every rule in the management handbook.


Flat Structure: Huang has 55 direct reports—nearly 10x the corporate average.


Equal Pay: He pays all 55 top executives the exact same cash bonus, removing internal "status games."


No 1:1s: Information is shared with everyone at once to eliminate power asymmetry and speed up decision-making.
Source: https://x.com/i/web/status/2048559374499778778

3. The Wellbeing Investment You’re Overlooking

While most companies spend on gym memberships and apps, the data suggests that employee development is the real driver of wellbeing.


The Progress Problem: Research suggests low engagement is often a "progress problem," not a "perks problem."


Retention Secret: 73% of employees would stay longer if their company invested more in learning and development.


Science-Backed: Competence is a core human need in Self-Determination Theory, directly linked to lower burnout.
Source: https://wellbeingmagazine.com/why-employee-development-is-the-wellbeing-investment-most-businesses-overlook/

🧠 Truth or Lie: The Kübler-Ross Change Curve

We’ve all seen the "Stages of Grief" applied to corporate change. Business Psychologist Matt Furness joins us to reveal whether research actually supports using a model designed for terminally ill patients as a roadmap for office restructuring.

Connect with Matt:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/matthewfurness/?lipi=urn%3Ali%3Apage%3Ad_flagship3_profile_view_base%3BpQVxZf%2FySxyM5bnSu94bNQ%3D%3D
Click Culture: https://www.clickculture.co.uk/

💬 Workplace Surgery

This week, we tackle three tough listener dilemmas:


The "Checked Out" Employee: Is "quiet quitting" the inevitable result of mandated return-to-office policies?


The Toxic High Performer: Can you ever justify keeping a salesperson who hits their targets but destroys your culture?


Culture vs. Cash: At what point does a "small business family" culture lose out to a £15k pay rise elsewhere?

📬 Connect with Al & Leanne
– LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/truthlieswork
– Al Elliott: https://www.linkedin.com/in/thisisalelliott
– Leanne Elliott: https://www.linkedin.com/in/meetleanne
– Email: [email protected]
– Book a call: https://savvycal.com/meetleanne/chat

Mental health support
UK & ROI — Samaritans Call 116 123 or visit https://www.samaritans.org
UK — Mind Call 0300 123 3393 or visit https://www.mind.org.uk
US — Suicide & Crisis Lifeline Call or text 988 or visit https://988lifeline.org
Australia — Lifeline Call 13 11 14 or visit https://www.lifeline.org.au
Global helplines
https://findahelpline.com

What does it actually feel like when the company you built starts falling apart?

In 2021, Aedan Fida’s company, Blade Air, was on top of the world. They had a $20 million school board contract, 25,000 square feet of manufacturing space, and revenue hitting $30 million. Then, the pandemic ended, and revenue dropped off a cliff—falling to just $2 million by 2024.

In this episode, Aedan (a Forbes 30 Under 30 honoree and EY Entrepreneur of the Year) gives one of the most candid accounts of founder life we’ve ever hosted. From sleeping in cars to build prototypes to the brutal reality of a 93% revenue drop, Aedan shares the "deep learning" that comes when you stop chasing goalposts and start leading with purpose.

🔥 What we cover in this episode:


The Pivot that Paid Off (and then didn't): How Aedan went from building carbon filters for cannabis growers in a Toronto basement to massive government contracts.


The "Deep Learning" Period: The truth about managing a $30M company with a management structure that wasn't ready for it.


Slow Down to Speed Up: Why the instinct to "go harder" during a collapse is often wrong, and how coaching, therapy, and systems actually turned the tide.


The "Right" Team: The remarkable story of Aedan’s brother, Kieran, who recognized he was becoming a bottleneck and went out to find his own replacement.


Purpose Balance over Work-Life Balance: The heart-wrenching lesson Aedan learned after losing his father about being present for the life you’re already living.

👤 About Aedan Fida
Aedan is the CEO of Blade Air, a Canadian clean air technology company. He is focused on the "triple bottom line" of people, planet, and profit, driving energy efficiency in HVAC systems through disruptive technology.

Connect with Aedan:
– LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/aedanfidastriplebottomline/
– Website: https://www.bladeair.com/

📬 Connect with Al & Leanne
– LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/truthlieswork
– Al Elliott: https://www.linkedin.com/in/thisisalelliott
– Leanne Elliott: https://www.linkedin.com/in/meetleanne
– Email: [email protected]
– Book a call: https://savvycal.com/meetleanne/chat

Mental health support
UK & ROI — Samaritans Call 116 123 or visit https://www.samaritans.org
UK — Mind Call 0300 123 3393 or visit https://www.mind.org.uk
US — Suicide & Crisis Lifeline Call or text 988 or visit https://988lifeline.org
Australia — Lifeline Call 13 11 14 or visit https://www.lifeline.org.au
Global helplines
https://findahelpline.com

Welcome back to Truth, Lies & Work, the award-winning workplace podcast where behavioural science meets workplace culture. This week, we’re unpacking the "human" skills needed for an AI-driven future, a bizarre experiment in digital leadership at Meta, and whether the "loudest" person in the room is actually the best person to lead it.

🔥 Stories Covered

1. 5 Skills LinkedIn Says Will AI-Proof Your Career
LinkedIn’s CEO Ryan Roslansky argues that while AI will reshape work, it won’t replace it—if you lean into the "5 Cs". Leanne breaks down why curiosity, courage, creativity, compassion, and communication are the traits hardest to automate. We also compare these to the evidence-based "Great Eight" model to see if these skills are truly new or just "repackaged" for the AI era.
https://www.inc.com/amaya-nichole/5-skills-linkedin-says-will-ai-proof-your-career-in-2026/91325413

2. The Digital Mark Zuckerberg: Efficiency or Madness?
Meta is reportedly training an AI clone of its CEO on his mannerisms and tone so employees can query him directly—essentially a digital boss on demand. While Zuckerberg uses a "CEO agent" to flatten the organisation, Meta is simultaneously navigating massive legal penalties. Is this a genius move for scale or a jarring corporate misstep?
https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2026/apr/13/meta-ai-mark-zuckerberg-staff-talk-to-the-boss

3. Why the DoorDash CEO Reads 2,000-Word Complaint Emails
Tony Xu reveals why he hunts for "gold" in long, detailed messages from customers and Dashers. While many leaders shy away from negative feedback, Xu personally "debugs" system failures by tracking orders in the backend to understand where the app fails the real world.
https://www.businessinsider.com/doordash-ceo-tony-xu-2000-word-emails-customers-dashers-2026-3

🧠 Truth or Lie: Extroverts Make More Effective Leaders

We often celebrate magnetic, commanding figures as the gold standard for leadership. But Leanne dives into the research to distinguish between leader emergence (who looks the part) and leader effectiveness (who actually delivers results).

The Verdict: It’s a Lie—or at least a dangerous half-truth. While extroversion accounts for about 10% of who gets promoted, it doesn't guarantee results. In fact, research shows that quieter leaders often outperform extroverts when managing proactive, high-performing teams.

💬 Workplace Surgery

This week, we answer three listener dilemmas:


Should I Bother with Engagement Surveys? Are you just measuring problems or actually fixing them?


Managing Generational Friction: Is the tension between Gen Z’s boundaries and "earned authority" something a manager should fix? Leanne explains why this is a clash of unspoken norms, not age.


New Job Red Flags: What are the signs in your first few weeks that you’ve joined a genuinely healthy workplace versus an intentional disaster?

Resources Mentioned


Who is Al Elliott? Hear our co-host’s story from bankruptcy to award-winning business owner: https://truthliesandwork.com/episodes/16-who-is-al-elliott-award-winning-business-owner-to-bankruptcy-and-back-our-co-host-s-story

📬 Connect with Al & Leanne

– LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/truthlieswork
– Al Elliott: https://www.linkedin.com/in/thisisalelliott
– Leanne Elliott: https://www.linkedin.com/in/meetleanne
– Email: [email protected]
– Book a call: https://savvycal.com/meetleanne/chat

Mental Health Support

UK & ROI — Samaritans Call 116 123 or visit https://www.samaritans.org
UK — Mind Call 0300 123 3393 or visit https://www.mind.org.uk
US — Suicide & Crisis Lifeline Call or text 988 or visit https://988lifeline.org
Australia — Lifeline Call 13 11 14 or visit https://www.lifeline.org.au
Global helplines: https://findahelpline.com

🎧 Truth, Lies & Work is part of the HubSpot Podcast Network, the audio destination for business professionals.