Making Work Not Suck: Not A One-Size-Fits-All Approach

On this episode of the podcast, host Nathalie Blais sits down with Morgan Patzelt, a tech industry leader with a decade of experience in education tech, to explore her transition from a Director of Product at Shoby to an entrepreneur. Morgan shares how completing a 28-week coaching program gave her the courage to start her own business focused on team coaching and upskilling everyday people managers.

Morgan recounts her journey of growing alongside an ed-tech startup, rising from an individual contributor to a director overnight. She discusses her philosophy that corporate reviews shouldn’t focus on fixing weaknesses, but rather on “10X-ing” the skills that bring joy and make individuals stand out. Through her own experiences, she realized that building strong, autonomous teams requires a foundation of trust, transparency, and the vulnerability to admit when you don’t have all the answers instead of simply faking it.

Morgan highlights the power of team coaching in bridging the disconnect between management and individual contributors to create true alignment. She advocates for her mission to “make work not suck” by recognizing that people management is not a one-size-fits-all approach and requires active, present listening rather than a default sympathetic response. She also shares her practical insights on change management, emphasizing that while adopting new operations or tools cannot be optional, they must be fully supported with training and resources to truly succeed.

Whether you are a seasoned executive, an unexpected people manager, or someone curious about the future of work and entrepreneurship, this episode offers actionable tools for building resilient teams and becoming a more authentic leader.

Connect with Morgan Patzelt: LinkedIn

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