It Gets Late Early
by Maureen Wiley Clough
Have you ever looked around at work and realized you might be one of the oldest people in the room—and you’re not even 40 yet?It Gets Late Early is a show about what’s really happening to experienced workers as the rules of work change. We dig into layoffs dressed up as AI strategy, side hustles and portfolio careers, the quiet rise of workplace ageism, and the (sometimes harsh) reality of building a career in midlife and beyond.We connect the dots between corporate decisions, economic forces, and the real lives of people navigating a changing world of work to help make sense of it all…because the career playbook we all followed was for a game no one can win anymore.You’ll hear honest conversations, expert insights, and practical advice for people trying to figure out what comes next—all wrapped up in a healthy dose of dark humor. Because sometimes you have to laugh so you don’t cry.Hosted by Maureen Wiley Clough—corporate dropout and ex-journalist who won’t quit telling the truth
Episodes
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I Created a Fake Perfect Job Candidate. Here's What Happened.
What happens when you create the “perfect” job candidate and send her into today’s job market? Apparently, not much. Emily Durham, better known as Emily the Recruiter, decided to build a completely fake LinkedIn profile and resume for a candidate who checked all the right boxes and then applied…
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We're Working Ourselves to Death (And Calling It Success)
A worker collapses on a warehouse floor. The conveyor belts keep moving. No one is allowed to help. The story sounds unbelievable until you realize it's not an isolated incident. I want to tell you a story that starts in an Amazon warehouse but quickly becomes something much bigger. I explore how...
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$600M in Damages. One Worker. A System That Created Both.
On April 7th, at 12:30 a.m. in a massive warehouse in Ontario, California, a worker lights pallets on fire. The result? $500–$600 million in damages and a reflection of a much bigger story, one that isn’t just about one individual, but about how our workplaces are failing employees. I walk…
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The US Tracks Your Money Anywhere on Earth. It Just Won't Say How Many Americans Left
The American career stability crisis is real, and it’s not a coincidence. We’re seeing a massive shift in how employers view workers, and it’s creating a talent drain that could fundamentally change the future of work. In this episode, I’m pulling back the curtain on a systemic issue that’s been...
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The AI Cover-up: How Layoffs Hide the Rise of the Ghost Workforce
We’ve seen companies laying off employees under the guise of automation. But here’s the catch: They’re still hiring, just not you–not as an employee anyway. What do I mean by this? Today, I’m diving into something that’s been happening behind the headlines of AI-driven layoffs–the rise of the...
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The AI Con: How Tech Giants Are Using Layoffs to Reset the Job Market
You may have seen companies like Pinterest and Amazon cutting thousands of jobs in the name of "AI transformation." But here's the catch: these layoffs are a calculated reset, not a technological revolution. It’s all about greed disguised as progress. In this episode, I dive into the AI-driven...
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How to Build Something New After 40 (Even When It Feels "Too Late")
"It's too late for me." I had this worry, but I finally hit publish on my first podcast episode at 40. I thought I'd missed the boat. Everyone else had already started, and I wondered if I was too old to become a creator in an industry that thinks you expire at 35. I was terrified to try…
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Tech Layoffs, Ageism & AI: Is a Tech Career Still Worth It?
Tech isn’t just in a downturn. It’s in the midst of a full-blown identity crisis. As layoffs, ageism, and AI reshape the workforce overnight, Brian Pulliam joins me to break down what’s actually happening behind the scenes… and what mid-career professionals must do to stay competitive. Brian, a...
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I Paid $48K for Health Insurance and Still Owed $10K—So I Built a Solution
With mass layoffs hitting tech, media, and corporate America, more professionals over 40 are being forced into freelance work, consulting, and solopreneur life—whether they planned for it or not. And here's a big problem with that: the moment you leave corporate, you lose access to affordable...
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AI Is Teaching Us to Hate Our Own Faces - Former Google Employee Turned Artist Exposes the Truth
Ever wondered why AI thinks you need to look younger? In this episode, Gretchen Andrew, a former Google employee turned artist, exposes the disturbing truth about how beauty filters are literally reshaping our faces—and our self-worth. We kick things off with Gretchen's bold pivot from Silicon...
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The Hoodie Myth Is Dead: Why the Best Tech Founders Are Over 40
What if everything you thought you knew about startup success was wrong? In today’s episode of It Gets Late Early, I’m breaking down the myth that young, hoodie-wearing entrepreneurs are the key to successful startups. Spoiler: the data proves otherwise. According to MIT research, the average age...
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The $259B Problem Hiding in Your Meetings — and How to Solve It
Meetings. Ugh. We’ve all been there, right? And the price tag is bigger than most people realize. We estimate that the cost to organizations of these unproductive meetings is approximately $259 billion in the United States and $64 billion in the United Kingdom for professional staff alone (LSE...
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20% Fake Jobs. 31% Never Hear Back. What Are Companies Doing?
Ever applied, interviewed, and…silence? You’re not alone. In this episode, we crack open the hiring black box: the rise of ghost jobs (roles that never close or never existed in the first place), the avalanche of AI-boosted applications, and why 31% of rejected candidates never even get an email....
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70% of the Money. Zero Attention — or Employees. What Are Brands Thinking?
Marketers love chasing Gen Z. But here’s the trillions-of-dollars blind spot: Gen X and Boomers control nearly 70% of U.S. disposable income and outspend younger generations in nearly every major category — alcohol, beauty, travel, finance, and more. So why are brands still ignoring them? In this...
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The 10% Rule: Why a Little More Vulnerability Can Change Everything With Will Greenblatt
Why is it terrifying to present to just four people? According to Will Greenblatt, it's because our brains still think the tribe might "club us over the head" if they don't like what we say. Will's journey from Canadian child actor (yes, a self-proclaimed "nepo baby") to sought-after corporate...
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Fired and Diagnosed With Cancer: How Daniel Incandela Rebuilt His Life
Losing a job is never easy, but what if it led to a more fulfilling path? Daniel Incandela, former CMO, opens up about the painful yet transformative experience of being fired in his 50s. In this episode, he shares the emotional toll it took, how he navigated the challenges, and the powerful...
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What No One Tells You About Personal Branding at Work With Danielle Hughes
Let’s face it, whether you're looking for a new job, trying to stand out in your current role, or considering a career pivot, building a personality brand is a real game-changer (you read that right. A personality brand, not a personal one). In today’s landscape, you need more than just…
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The AI Industry Is Lying to You — And This Founder’s Calling It Out at Age 66
Is AI living up to the hype, or is it just another overblown bubble that’s gonna pop? In this episode, Stephen Klein, a 66-year-old AI founder who is challenging the status quo in the world of artificial intelligence, joins me to expose what he believes is the truth about AI, from inflated…
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Kelly Stonelake Tried to Protect Kids at Meta. They Fired Her Instead
Have you ever felt trapped in a system that’s supposed to empower you but instead chips away at your well-being? In today’s episode, I’m sitting down with Kelly Stonelake, a former Meta executive who’s blowing the whistle on what’s happening behind the scenes at one of the world’s most powerful...
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How to Fix Your Dumpster Fire Interview Process With Lorna Erickson and Victoria Gates
Let’s get real: hiring today is a mess. I’ve been there both as a candidate and as the interviewer who wasn’t properly trained. So, when I discovered Lorna Erickson and Victoria Gates, two women who are revolutionizing the corporate interviewing landscape, I knew we had to have them on the show.…
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Are We All Screwed? A Millennial and Gen Xer Weigh In With Bradley Richardson of Advanced Adulting
I’m not gonna lie–this episode hit deep. Bradley Richardson and I recorded this one for both our audiences, and it turned into the realest talk I’ve had in a while. We peeled back the polish and got straight into the messy middle of work, life, and what we all do to survive this stage of midlife....
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Did You Know You Could Have a 'Second Fifty' Years? Dr. Debra Whitman Explains!
What has more to do with longevity: your zip code or your genetic code? The answer might just surprise you. In this episode, I’m thrilled to have Dr. Debra Whitman, Chief Public Policy Officer at AARP and author of “The Second Fifty: Answers to the 7 Big Questions of Midlife and Beyond” join me…
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Turn Career Setbacks Into Comebacks: Gamifying Job Searches and Nailing Your Career After Age 40 With Portfolio Rocket’s Loren Greiff
What happens when the most brutal battle of your life changes how you approach everything? Cancer sucks. It rips apart someone’s life. So, can you believe someone “gamified cancer” to make sure she still got the most out of life during her fight? Yup, that would be my friend, Loren. In this...
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Colorado’s Game-Changing Job Application Act, the Case for Intergenerational Teams, and How You Can Take Action With Janine Vanderburg
We’re done just talking about ageism. In this episode, we show you how to do something about it. Janine Vanderburg is the powerhouse behind Changing the Narrative and CEO of Encore Roadmap. She joins me to talk about how she and a coalition of advocates helped pass the groundbreaking Job...
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Job Search Struggles in Midlife, Why You Should Take Fractional Roles, and Corporate Survival with Nick Passarelli
If you’ve ever been blindsided by a layoff, wrestled with feeling “too old” for the job search, or wondered if your career peak is behind you, this episode is for you. In this deeply honest and refreshingly human episode, I speak with Nick Passarelli, a fintech exec and former HR leader whose…
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Why Awkwardness Is a Career Superpower, Overcoming Social Discomfort, and Building Confidence With Henna Pryor
We’ve all had those painfully awkward moments–those cringey, uncomfortable feelings—the ones that make you want to disappear into the floor. But what if awkwardness wasn’t something to escape, but something to embrace? Today, I sit down with workplace performance expert Henna Pryor to unpack why...
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Fighting Ageism Through Art, The Gendered Impact of Aging, and Why This Exhibit Went Viral With Dr. Stacey Gordon and Aubrey Hirsch
Did you know that the average age for a first Botox injection is reportedly now just 26? Wild, right? That’s just one sign of how deeply ageism is woven into our lives - whether it’s in the workplace, healthcare, or even just the way we see ourselves. So, today I am chatting with Dr. Stacey…
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Breaking Age Stereotypes, Embracing AI, and Building a Multi-Generational Workforce with AARP’s Naj Uddin
How does a Silicon Valley techie end up transforming one of the largest nonprofits in the U.S.? Well, Naj Uddin, Chief Information Officer at AARP, joins us to share his journey from tech startups to spearheading innovation at AARP. Naj shares how AARP is doing things differently - think success...
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Regret Is Your Greatest Teacher: How to Learn From the Past and Build a Future You Love With Daniel Pink
Ever looked back on a missed opportunity and thought, Ugh, what if? Well, you’re not alone—and that feeling of regret might actually be one of the best tools for growth. I had the privilege of chatting with New York Times bestselling author Daniel Pink about his book The Power of Regret—the book...
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10 Hard Truths about Ageism
In this last episode of the year, I reflect on what I’ve learned in 1.5 years of podcasting about ageism in the workplace. Spoiler alert: it’s a big deal for all of us, whether you’re fresh out of school or deep into your career, so let’s roll! Did you know having a positive mindset about aging…
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Thriving as an Individual Contributor, Embracing Power Skills, and the Myth of Workplace Vulnerability with Everybody Be Cool’s Author, Hanan Harb Sahourieh
Ever feel like you're trying to navigate a corporate obstacle course while juggling flaming torches and keeping your cool? Like you're supposed to be "authentic" but also "professional," vulnerable but not too vulnerable? Well, today we're diving into the workplace circus with Hanan Harb…
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Fired for Being 42, the Insane Age Discrimination Case No Lawyer Would Take, and Picking Up the Pieces with Over 40 Founder Emilia D'Anzica
Imagine hitting all your KPIs at work, only to be told you're out—because they want someone younger. Well, that’s exactly what happened to today’s guest, the incredible Emilia D’Anzica. And trust me, her comeback story is one for the books! Emilia is the founder of Growth Molecules, an author…
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How Menopause Affects Productivity at Work, Corporate America’s Neglect of Women's Health, and the Billion-Dollar Cost to Businesses with Tamsen Fadal
Did you know that menopause affects over half the population and costs companies billions in lost productivity each year? And yet, it's still one of the most overlooked issues in the workplace. Well, today’s episode focuses on the impact of menopause on the workforce. I share my experience with a...
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Why Some Women Try To Look Older At Work, Gender Bias in Big Tech, and Building an AgeTech Company in a Youth-Obsessed World with Wisdom.io CEO Cathy Minter
The world population is aging, and with 10,000 people turning 65 daily, new opportunities are emerging in the tech industry. So, today, we're exploring the AgeTech revolution with Cathy Minter, the CEO and co-founder of Wisdom.io. AgeTech? Yeah, it's a thing, and it's been quietly changing the…
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Indeed’s Ageist Career Guide, Viral LinkedIn Reaction, and the Impact on the Ageism Debate
In this solo episode, I break down the recent controversy surrounding a career guide published by Indeed, the world’s largest job site, with 365 million daily users and over 3.5 million employers. Here’s a teaser: The guide labeled ages 45-55 as “late career” and 55-65 as “decline,” sparking an...
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Surviving Corporate via Humor, Navigating Layoffs, and Age-Shaming at Work With HR Besties’ Jamie Jackson
Today I've got Jamie Jackson, the brilliant mind behind 'Humorous Resources', 'Millennial Misery,' and 'Horrendous HR,' and the co-host of the HR Besties podcast. She's not just your average HR pro - she's like the standup comedian of the corporate world, using humor to keep us all from losing…
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How You're Getting Discriminated Against at Work, Part 2, with EEOC Commissioner Keith Sonderling
In the last year alone, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) received nearly 81,000 charges of workplace discrimination. And here's a kicker – age discrimination made up a whopping 17.5% of those cases! This is not merely a fringe issue in our society. In today’s episode, I sit down...
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How You’re Getting Discriminated Against at Work, Part 1, with Attorneys Peter Romer Friedman and Elizabeth Aniskevich
My guests today are Elizabeth Aniskevich from the AARP Foundation and lawyer Peter Romer-Friedman, two powerhouses in the fight against age discrimination. They're here to shed light on this pervasive issue that's been hiding in plain sight (or, should we say, in plain algorithms?). Remember when...
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How to Reinvent Your Career After 40 With Career Coach John Tarnoff
Are you feeling stuck in your career and afraid to make a bold move? John Tarnoff, the career reinvention coach and founder of the Mid-Career Lab, will shake up everything you believe about mid-career shifts, especially if you're rocking that over-40 life! Get ready to flip the script on job loss...
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Ageism in Tech, Career Evolution, and Creating Comedy Content With Corporate Bro
We're bringing back some comic relief of the highest order by republishing one of the all-time most downloaded episodes of It Gets Late Early, featuring genius comedian Ross Pomerantz, aka Corporate Bro (or just Corp). If you’re newer here, you probably haven’t heard Ross’s take on getting older…
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The Wall Street Skinny X IGLE: Ageism, Sexism, and Conquering the Challenges Women Face in Tech and Finance
The fantastic Jen Saarbach and Kristen Kelly from “The Wall Street Skinny” podcast join me today for a candid and super fun crossover episode on the challenges women face breaking into and growing their careers in the male-dominated industries of Tech and Finance. Jen and Kristen tell us how they...
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Building a $25M Tech Company Without VC, Gender Barriers, Social Media Fame, and Writing “Scaling With Soul” With Sharon Gillenwater
Ever wonder what it takes to build and sell a tech company for millions without venture capital? Well, we've got the inside story straight from the source! Today I'm chatting with Sharon Gillenwater, a trailblazing entrepreneur who did just that - she built and sold her tech company (Boardroom...
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The Unexpected Impact of Remote Work on Young Employees, Toxic Stereotypes, and Gen Z's Little-known Need for Mentorship with Megan Gerhardt
In a recent study by Fortune, one in five Gen Z’s reported not having spoken to anyone over 50 in the workplace in the last year, while 40% of people over 55 said they hadn't talked to a Gen Z. How did we get here? How do we bridge this generational divide? Are the five generations at work a...
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The Trouble With Capitalism, Ditching Our Hustle Culture Mindset, and Becoming More Human-Centric in the Age of AI With Anti-career Coach Danielle Roberts
In our hustle-obsessed society, the concept of "work-life balance" has become a twisted, unattainable ideal. From the dawn of our careers, we're fed narratives that glorify overachievement and self-sacrifice for the corporate grind. But what if we've been sold a lie? What if the real keys to...
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Male Loneliness and the Struggle to Make and Maintain Friendships as Men Age With ‘Billy No-Mates’ Author, Max Dickins
In our fast-paced, career-driven world, it's all too easy for friendships to take a backseat. But for many men, that dwindling social circle isn't just an occasional inconvenience - it's a harsh reality made worse by societal pressures and masculine stereotypes. My guest today is Max Dickins,...
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Working With Jeff Bezos, Navigating Sexism at Amazon, Growing Confidence, and Getting Sober at 43 With Exit Interview’s Kristi Coulter
Ever wondered what it's like to work at Amazon? I mean, if you can make it there, you can make it anywhere, just like New York, right? It feels like after you’ve done time at Amazon, your meal ticket is punched, and you’ll have a cascade of job offers and great opportunities thereafter. But would...
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How to Be a Better Manager With Ashley Herd of Manager Method and HR Besties
Becoming a manager through a promotion or receiving a job offer is a rewarding accomplishment for an employee. While these opportunities can prove exciting for both first-time and long-time managers, not everyone is innately gifted with the skills it takes to be a good manager. Ask just about...
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Ageism in Tech is REAL and People Are Reacting: The Story Behind the VIRAL LinkedIn Post ft. Vern Six
When applying for a job, the hiring process can feel like a waiting game. But what's even worse than waiting for who knows how long or being ghosted altogether is blatantly experiencing age bias while in an interview with a recruitment officer. That's what today’s guest, Vern Six, experienced,...
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Why Companies Need to Pay Attention to Older Consumers With Entrepreneur Brian Clark
As more people live longer, consumer brands need to consider the needs of the older population. Companies that neglect senior consumers, especially the Baby Boomers, can end up missing a massive opportunity to attract and retain a growing market and make a ton of money along the way. Older...
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How to Have a More Fulfilling Midlife With MEA Wisdom Co-Founder Jeff Hamaoui
Are you yearning for a more fulfilling midlife? Turning 40, 50, or 60 is a big deal, and a bit scary for many people. However, we can shift our mindset to view it as something hopeful: the beginning of our second adulthood. Instead of thinking of it as a period of decline, we can embrace this...
About this show
Have you ever looked around at work and realized you might be one of the oldest people in the room—and you’re not even 40 yet?It Gets Late Early is a show about what’s really happening to experienced workers as the rules of work change. We dig into layoffs dressed up as AI strategy, side hustles and portfolio careers, the quiet rise of workplace ageism, and the (sometimes harsh) reality of building a career in midlife and beyond.We connect the dots between corporate decisions, economic forces, and the real lives of people navigating a changing world of work to help make sense of it all…because the career playbook we all followed was for a game no one can win anymore.You’ll hear honest conversations, expert insights, and practical advice for people trying to figure out what comes next—all wrapped up in a healthy dose of dark humor. Because sometimes you have to laugh so you don’t cry.Hosted by Maureen Wiley Clough—corporate dropout and ex-journalist who won’t quit telling the truth
Hosted by
Maureen Wiley Clough