Work-Shaped Life

GuestKimberly Howard WadeWhat'd we talk about? Youth development. Acting. Trying to make your parents happy. Graduate school. Putting your ego in a box. Ten thousand hours. Giving back. Raising twins. Striving. Becoming Ski Mom. Changing your routine to refresh your perspective. Soul expansion. The Lincoln Lawyer. Systems thinking. Cabinet positions that don't exist. Dan Wieden. Saying yes.Work-Shaped Life is a production of Sheepscot Creative in Portland, Oregon.It's hosted by Dave Weich, edited by Bailey Cain and Michael Nipper, with production support from Benna Gottfried, Rosie Struve, Amelia Lukas and Kate Sokoloff.Tell us something about your own work-shaped life at WorkShapedLife.com. Work-Shaped Life publishes on Substack. What kind of stuff? We're going to post a bonus clip from this episode, a deeper dive into the arts funding landscape in Oregon. And Bailey, our editor, recently returned from a trip to the coast with her family to reflect on an excerpt from Episode 2. Hoping to restack more and more relevant discoveries, too.

GuestKatrin HinrichsWhat'd we talk about? Fascination. Kennett Square, Pennsylvania. Horses. Assisted reproduction. Grade school goals. Pet care in the 70s. Ideas. Mentors. Doing something no one thought you could. Curiosity. Management. Ethics. Cloning. The difference between corn and oats. Teaching. Three-dimensional jigsaw puzzles. Elementary school classrooms. Trying new things. Listening to your husband sing.Work-Shaped Life is a production of Sheepscot Creative in Portland, Oregon.Hosted by Dave Weich, edited by Bailey Cain and Michael Nipper, with production support from Benna Gottfried, Rosie Struve, Amelia Lukas and Kate Sokoloff.Find more episodes and tell us about your own work-shaped life at WorkShapedLife.com. Or follow Work-Shaped Life on Substack.

GuestSam StantonWhat'd we talk about? Dropping out of college. Rehab. Port Townsend. Morning coffee on deck. Tinkering with things. Trade school. International travel. Leaning into your 20s. Tugboat cowboys in the oil patch. Sleep schedules. Chasing it hard. Lavender farming. Ferries. Going home at the end of a shift. Self employment. Tangerine orchards. Putting your job on the shelf. What is possible.Work-Shaped Life is a production of Sheepscot Creative in Portland, Oregon.Hosted by Dave Weich, edited by Bailey Cain and Michael Nipper, with production support from Benna Gottfried, Rosie Struve, Amelia Lukas and Kate Sokoloff.Find more episodes and tell us about your own work-shaped life at WorkShapedLife.com. Or follow Work-Shaped Life on Substack.

Guest: Jen BurkartWhat'd we talk about? Literacy. Teaching. Dream jobs. Opportunity gaps. Chest puff-up moments. Raising multiple children. Supportive partners. Hobby time. Work clothes. Leadership books we've never read. Managing complex change. Finding focus. Allocating personal resources. The feeling of agency. Searching for Lake Michigan. Powell's circa 1998. Defining the outcome. Work-Shaped Life is a production of Sheepscot Creative in Portland, Oregon.Hosted by Dave Weich, edited by Bailey Cain and Michael Nipper, with production support from Benna Gottfried, Rosie Struve, Amelia Lukas and Kate Sokoloff.Find more episodes and tell us about your own work-shaped life at WorkShapedLife.com. Or follow Work-Shaped Life on Substack.

Guest: Katie SilverWhat'd we talk about? Executive recruitment. Job seekers. Introverts. Closing a deal. Finding alignment with ethos and values. Enforcing work-life balance. Helping people get unstuck. Building a network. Growing your career. Understanding the market. The art of the possible. Coaching and mentoring. AI. Throwing your resume into the void. Curiosity. Doing more with less.Work-Shaped Life is a production of Sheepscot Creative in Portland, Oregon.Hosted by Dave Weich, edited by Bailey Cain and Michael Nipper, with production support from Benna Gottfried, Rosie Struve, Amelia Lukas and Kate Sokoloff.Find more episodes and tell us about your own work-shaped life at WorkShapedLife.com. Or follow Work-Shaped Life on Substack.

Guest: David GuttermanWhat'd we talk about? Intellectual and emotional capacity. What it is to be human. The liberal arts. Funeral dancing. Sustained community. Learning how to listen and be present. The time horizon. How to finish cooking half-baked ideas. Capitalist frameworks. Fear and powerlessness. Asking better questions. Kathryn Schulz. Changing your mind. Styles of learning.Work-Shaped Life is a production of Sheepscot Creative in Portland, Oregon.Hosted by Dave Weich, edited by Bailey Cain and Michael Nipper, with production support from Benna Gottfried, Rosie Struve, Amelia Lukas and Kate Sokoloff.Find more episodes and tell us about your own work-shaped life at WorkShapedLife.com. Or follow Work-Shaped Life on Substack.

Guest: Katie FineWhat'd we talk about? The Department of War. Evanston, Illinois. Forensic archeology. The Neolithic period in Greece. The job market. Coffee shop conversations at the Pentagon. Heated Rivalry. Tethers. Losing a parent. The Vietnam War. MIA POWs. Adventure. Loneliness. Research security. Career goals. Identity. Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor.Work-Shaped Life is a production of Sheepscot Creative in Portland, Oregon.Hosted by Dave Weich, edited by Bailey Cain and Michael Nipper, with production support from Benna Gottfried, Rosie Struve, Amelia Lukas and Kate Sokoloff.Find more episodes and tell us about your own work-shaped life at WorkShapedLife.com. Or follow Work-Shaped Life on Substack.

“What do you want to be when you grow up?” In Work-Shaped Life, people talk about how the path to “what they want to be” is going...and where it’s taken them along the way.Who’s able to build and sustain a career that fits the life they want? How have they done it? And what does that even look like today, in 2026, as the economy falters and the future of work seems less certain than ever?Have you ever had a job that rewards what you're good at, suits how you’re wired, and leaves you free to thrive when you’re not working? Do you have a job like that now? Work-Shaped Life is a podcast about what making a living makes of our lives. Subscribe on your favorite podcast platform or visit WorkShapedLife.com to find every episode, show notes, transcripts and special bonus shorts.