FRIED: The Burnout Podcast

FRIED: The Burnout Podcast

Cait Donovan


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Latest Episode

Mita Mallick: Could Your Boss Be the Real Reason You’re Burnt Out?

Burnout isn’t the end of your story. With Sarah Vosen’s guidance, recovery becomes not just possible—but sustainable. Learn more: https://caitdonovan.com/coaching Toxic bosses don’t only wear people down, they spark the very burnout cycles that drain whole teams. Cait Donovan talks with author and changemaker Mita Mallick about the damage bad leadership leaves behind and the toll it takes on both people and organizations. Mita shares personal stories, including her experience with a boss she nicknamed “Medusa,” whose intimidation and cruelty pushed her into anxiety and disengagement. That season of her career led to what she calls a “get out plan,” a way to take the energy of frustration and turn it into action through networking, reflection, and mapping a path forward. How do you know when it’s time to make your own plan, and what would change if you gave yourself permission to act before you hit the breaking point? The conversation also turns to the harder truth that under pressure any of us can slip into toxic behaviors. Mita and Cait explore why leadership requires self-awareness, accountability, and vulnerability rather than surface-level fixes or quick answers. Drawing from her new book “The Devil Emails at Midnight,” Mita challenges us to rethink how we respond to unhealthy work cultures and to consider the responsibility we each carry in shaping them. What kind of workplace are you helping to build, and how might things shift if you took ownership of the way you show up every day? Episode Breakdown: 00:00 Introduction to Fried, the Burnout Podcast 00:57 Meet Mita Mallick: Author of The Devil Emails at Midnight 02:26 Burnout Story: Surviving “Medusa” the Toxic Boss 09:09 Creating a “Get Out” Plan to Escape Burnout 17:13 Urgency Culture and Toxic Leadership Patterns 27:01 Workplace Bias, Pregnancy Penalties, and Burnout 31:37 Talent Hoarding and Betrayal at Work 38:19 Building Self-Awareness and Better Leadership Connect with Mita Mallick: Mita’s Website Follow Mita on Instagram Connect with Mita on LinkedIn Connect with Cait: Initial Call with Cait Initial Call with Sarah Burnout isn’t the end of your story. With Sarah Vosen’s guidance, recovery becomes not just possible—but sustainable. Learn more: https://caitdonovan.com/coaching Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

About FRIED: The Burnout Podcast

The place to listen to real, raw stories of burnout and burnout recovery so that you can learn: Burnout is Real. You're not alone. This is doable. There are resources for you. Someone like you has been through this and has answers for you. Interviews go deep and discuss trauma, race, deep depression, thoughts of suicide and of course, the light that enters once the realization happens and the decision to make a change has been made. We're here with you. For all of it. Access more episodes, subscribe, and learn more.