Episodes

  • From Rock Bottom to Rock Solid: Building a Sober, Stronger Workforce with Dave Argus

    From Rock Bottom to Rock Solid: Building a Sober, Stronger Workforce with Dave Argus
    Aug 20 2025
    What if your drug-testing program actually kept more people safe and employed? In this conversation, Dave Argus (Director of Operations, Karas & Karas Glass) shows how his team turned testing into early detection + a bridge to care, and why structured multiple-chance agreements outperform zero-tolerance for real-world safety and retention. In Dave’s words, “We don’t give up on them after they make a mistake — we get them more support.” You’ll hear how workers in recovery proactively request testing to catch slips before they “go over the waterfall,” and how clear guardrails, peer allies, and treatment partners make recovery part of safety, not separate from it. For more information on this episode go to https://www.sallyspencerthomas.com/headspace/72
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    28 mins
  • Lost in Translation: Why Mental Health & Safety Resources Must Speak Everyone’s Language with Loretta Mulberry

    Lost in Translation: Why Mental Health & Safety Resources Must Speak Everyone’s Language with Loretta Mulberry
    Aug 12 2025
    What happens when critical safety and mental health information is only in English? Imagine stepping onto a job site where you can’t fully understand your supervisor’s instructions, can’t ask questions without fear of embarrassment, and can’t connect with your coworkers because the language barrier feels like a brick wall. For many Spanish-speaking workers in high-risk industries like construction, this is reality. And the stakes impact mental health, safety, and survival.In the U.S. construction industry—and many other high-risk sectors—Spanish is often the first language for a large part of the workforce. Yet too often, training, safety manuals, and mental health resources are only available in English. The result? A growing number of workers face avoidable risks of injury, fatality, and even suicide. for more information on this episode go to https://www.sallyspencerthomas.com/headspace/71
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    22 mins
  • Psychological Safety Is a Leadership Strategy – How to Create Cultures Where People Thrive with Dr. Charlie Cartwright

    Psychological Safety Is a Leadership Strategy – How to Create Cultures Where People Thrive with Dr. Charlie Cartwright
    Aug 5 2025
    In our brain-based economy, where innovation and human connection drive success, psychological safety is no longer a “nice to have”—it’s mission-critical.This episode of Headspace for the Workplace features Dr. Charlie Cartwright, a nationally recognized leadership strategist and culture whisperer. We explore how workplace leaders can create environments where trust runs deep, communication flows freely, and people feel safe to show up fully, especially when things get hard.We unpack why psychological safety is the foundation of mental well-being at work, and the unexpected “four-letter word” that can transform your leadership approach. for more information on this episode go to https://www.sallyspencerthomas.com/headspace/70
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    24 mins
  • Trauma, Work, and the Courage to Stay Connected: Building a Trauma-Informed Workplace with Eli Embleton

    Trauma, Work, and the Courage to Stay Connected: Building a Trauma-Informed Workplace with Eli Embleton
    Jul 22 2025
    We don’t always recognize how trauma shows up at work. Sometimes it is hiding in the shadows. The quiet withdrawal. The anger that simmers just below the surface. The exhaustion that no amount of sleep can fix.In this moving and honest episode, Eli Embleton shares his story of how a life-threatening trauma in his family sent him down a path of depression, rage, and emotional disconnection. Work became his survival strategy, a place to avoid the pain, to push through, to appear “fine.” But under the surface, he believed he was a burden.What saved him wasn’t just time or treatment; it was connection. Through storytelling, community, and purposeful work, Eli learned the art of what he calls “muscular vulnerability” -- the ability to share pain with strength. Today, as Dream Manager at Zachry Construction, Eli walks alongside others with similar stories, helping people reach instead of retreat.In this podcast, we discuss:
    • What are the signs of unresolved trauma showing up at work?
    • How can workplace leaders support employees with trauma histories?
    If you’re a workplace leader, this episode is a guide to understanding trauma not as a personal weakness, but as a human experience that deserves compassion and care.
    For more information on this episode go to https://www.sallyspencerthomas.com/headspace/69
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    28 mins
  • Leaders Go First: How Executive Vulnerability Transforms Workplace Mental Health with Adam Nemer

    Leaders Go First: How Executive Vulnerability Transforms Workplace Mental Health with Adam Nemer
    Jul 15 2025
    In this powerful episode of Headspace for the Workplace, Adam Nemer, former CFO and Operations Executive at Kaiser Permanente, shares how a personal collapse became a catalyst for healing, connection, and leadership transformation. Adam takes us through the moment he decided to “go first” by publicly sharing his struggles with undiagnosed depression and anxiety. That choice set a cultural shift in motion across his entire organization.for more information on this episode go to https://www.sallyspencerthomas.com/headspace/68
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    31 mins
  • Trends from Mental Health America’s Workplace Mental Health Report: EAPs Aren’t a Security Blanket—Trust Is the Real Game Changer with Suzi

    Trends from Mental Health America’s Workplace Mental Health Report: EAPs Aren’t a Security Blanket—Trust Is the Real Game Changer with Suzi
    Jul 1 2025
    Listen now to this important episode with Suzi Craig, Vice President of Workplace Mental Health at Mental Health America (MHA), as we explore what really moves the needle in employee well-being. for more information on this episode go to https://www.sallyspencerthomas.com/headspace/67
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    36 mins
  • When the Worst Happens: A Roadmap for Workplace Postvention with Alison Clements

    When the Worst Happens: A Roadmap for Workplace Postvention with Alison Clements
    Jun 17 2025
    In this episode we tackle…· What is workplace postvention, and why does it matter after a suicide loss?· How is a suicide postvention protocol different from a workplace crisis response plan?· How can organizations prepare for the emotional impact of suicide in the workplace?· What are the key components of an effective workplace postvention plan?· Why are most workplaces unprepared for suicide bereavement?· How does Alison Clements’ evidence-based model improve postvention responses in high-risk industries?· What are the long-term impacts of suicide exposure on staff, and how can leaders support recovery?· How do you tailor postvention toolkits to fit different workplace contexts?· What are the first steps to create a workplace suicide postvention policy?· How can postvention strategies help prevent future suicides at work? for more information on this episode go to https://www.sallyspencerthomas.com/headspace/66
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    20 mins
  • Paradox of Fear in Leadership -- Attitudes Around Emotions Start from the Top with Russell Peterson

    Paradox of Fear in Leadership -- Attitudes Around Emotions Start from the Top with Russell Peterson
    Jun 3 2025
    If you've ever been told to “suck it up,” “walk it off,” or “leave it at the door,” congratulations! You’ve had a front-row seat to emotional shutdown culture. One that’s usually recognized, reinforced, and modeled by top leadership. In this conversation, I talk with counselor and wilderness enthusiast Russell Peterson about how emotional avoidance, particularly in male-dominated, tough-it-out industries, stems not from weakness but from survival systems that overfunction. The good news? We can learn to steer fear productively... and finally ditch the myth that showing emotion makes us fragile.We unpack how to help leaders become culture shapers, not emotional bottlenecks. for more information on this episode go to https://www.sallyspencerthomas.com/headspace/2025/5/27/65
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    18 mins