Envoy Performance Podcast

Lots of things in the news recently seem bleak, but there have also been lots of reasons for hope... or are those reasons to be optimistic? Alan and Candace talk about the act of noticing, and how to look for joy in places we might miss. This, the commercialization of offline get togethers, competency porn, and Alan FINALLY becomes an advocate for better pockets for women's clothes.

Have you ever gotten mired in thinking about something as right or wrong and completely missed the nuances in between? In this episode, Alan and Candace talk about black and white thinking, how mindset impacts aging, and new research on how screentime impacts our next generation.

When is friction in a relationship good, and when does it feel more like conflict? What happens when anonymity at work breeds the same vitriol is breeds on social media? Should you try to talk with strangers when you're out in the world? In this episode, Alan and Candace break down all this, from what happens when people in relationships are comfortable with different levels of friction, if and when anonymous feedback is helpful, and the real benefits of engaging in small talk, without being a creep.

As real life examples debating the easy way versus the impactful way happen around them, Alan and Candace dive back into the idea of introducing friction to make more meaningful experiences. They talk about why curiousity is so important, and the correlation between consciousness and contentiousness. Plus, their thoughts on the Winter Olympics, and Alan has a mystery on his hands!

We've kicked off 2026, and we're still finding our way after the holidays. In this episode, Alan and Candace talk about trying to get back into the swing of things, and some lessons around team connection from industries we might not spend enough time thinking about. They talk about how HR can be a more strategic partner, and why reintroducing friction back into your life can be a good thing.

A special surprise bonus episode! After a difficult situation had many people reaching out to Alan, he and Candace talk about the importance of carving out time to be intentional around connecting with those that matter to you. Plus, a chilly holiday hike recap, how to make better resolutions, and how to think about the right time to make tough decisions.

It's the time of year for reflection, so in this episode, Alan and Candace talk about authenticity in giving thanks, paying attention to the journey instead of focusing solely on the destination, and how hygge factors into both. They discuss two very different words of the year, and how looking back and looking forward are both valuable.

It's performance review season, and Alan and Candace dive into the conversation about effort versus outcome. What happens when someone is working really hard, but the results aren't there? And, it's Thanksgiving, so how do we show gratitude? Is gratitude at work different from gratitude outside of it? Plus, a Halloween recap, running clubs, and celebrating another little known holiday.

Layoffs and AI and costumes, oh my! In this episode, Alan and Candace break down the latest rounds of layoffs. Is AI really the culprit, and does fostering connection at work even matter when the relationship can be severed so easily? They also talk about living without a phone (gasp), what's worthy of your time, and Candace's favorite topic of conversation, Halloween at work!

AI tools available to us are changing by the hour. Are they changing how we interact with each other? In this episode, Candace and Alan dive into recent data about how people are using AI, how leaders can be thoughtful about implementing it, and how to beware of the theater of division.

Bias is all around us. From the media we consume to the questions we ask when we're soliciting opinions to how we answer surveys, it's nearly impossible to avoid. In this episode, Alan and Candace talk about how bias might show up when delivering messages or asking about employee sentiment, and the surprising things that might influence us... like cold, late night hot dogs.

Candace and Alan continue their conversation about advice- how to ask for it, and how to know when to offer it and when to just listen. They also dive into work friendships and why they matter, and who can actually have friends at work. Spoiler: they don't actually agree! They also touch on empathy and an important crossover episode with their rivals colleagues over at ERR about that very topic.

Sometimes life throws you some curveballs, and that can make juggling home and work responsibilities even more challenging. In this episode, Alan and Candace talk about real life challenges, the sandwich generation, and how we make decisions, especially when everyone and everything wants to give you advice on what you should be doing differently.

What can an 80 year old hydro electric plant teach us about making progress? In this episode, Candace and Alan talk about the kinds of barriers- real and made up- that stop us from moving forward, debate the idea of the infinite workday, and how social clubs and hobbies might influence how we lead.

Reframing how we approach things can feel daunting, but it doesn’t need to be. In this episode, Candace and Alan talk about how we reframe our perspectives on our daily work, what framing fear means, and how a small adjustment to how we interact with those around us can have ripple effects on someone’s day.

Learning is a journey, not a destination. How can we continue to flex our learning muscles and as a result, be more curious about ourselves and each other? In this episode, Candace and Alan talk about how our own recent away games helped us with this, curiosity as a strategic skill, and recent lesson about optimism that sparked big conversations about purpose.

Loneliness is an epidemic, and our increasingly short attention spans aren’t helping us see or hear how people actually are. In this episode, Candace and Alan discuss male loneliness and why we should care about it, how we can be better, more attentive listeners, and how we can carve out time to get to know people in spaces outside of the normal ways we interact. 

Five years, leaders found themselves facing profound uncertainty at the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic. Today, leaders are facing similar challenges as they navigate rapid changes coming from US and global policy shifts. In this episode, Candace and Alan talk about how we make decisions as leaders, how we separate ourselves from our role, and how we can focus and prioritize by being intentional about where we aren’t spending our energy.

Join us as Candace and Alan talk all things executive performance, but not in the ways you might expect. In this episode, they dive into the types of fatigue plaguing leaders today, why making new friends is so hard as an adult, and some practical things you can do to stay connected the the people who matter to you.