This episode is a wide-ranging conversation with Dr. Anouska Bhattacharyya about what it means to show up fully human in a system that often rewards performance over honesty, the power of play and community, and how embracing discomfort can lead to innovation and growth. They also share personal stories about karaoke, the value of rest, navigating unemployment, and why connection matters more than polish.

Key Topics:

• Workplace authenticity and the importance of bringing your whole self
• The role of community and collective support in overcoming challenges
• The value of play and trying new things to learn and grow
• Using karaoke as a metaphor for facilitation, community, and vulnerability
• The significance of rest and re-framing unemployment as a period of reflection and growth

Try these our for size:

1. Ask yourself who you are beyond what you do.
   Write down a few things that bring you joy, create connection, or make you feel most like yourself—none of them need to belong on a résumé.
2. Build more room for human reality.
   In your work, relationships, or community, look for one place where people could be offered more grace, support, or time to pause instead of being expected to keep pushing through.
3. Invest in community as deliberately as you invest in achievement.
   Reach out to a friend, join a conversation, or create a small moment of shared joy. Connection is not a distraction from growth—it is part of how we grow.

Connect with Anouska -

Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/anouskaisonline/

LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/anouska/

Connect with Ciara -

Ciara on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ciaragogan13/

Follow Stumbling Through Growth on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/stumblingthroughgrowth/

Work with Ciara (Coaching) - https://calendly.com/ciara-upliftinclusion/uplift-30-minute-call

Ciara's Inclusion Coaching & Consulting - Uplift Inclusion: https://www.upliftinclusion.com/

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