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Personal Development Episodes

Sept. 30, 2025

Ask Christa! How Can I Ask My Co-Worker to Quit the Chit Chat? (S4E45)

Summary In this episode of Ask Christa!, Christa Dhimo addresses a listener's question about managing social interactions in the workplace, particularly when a coworkers chatty style disrupts focus, flow, and productivity. She discusses the importance of establishing boundaries, effective communica…

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Sept. 22, 2025

Ask Christa! How Can I Ask a Co-Worker to Tone it Down? (S4E44)

Summary In this episode, Christa Dhimo addresses a listener's question about managing team dynamics, particularly focusing on the listener’s co-worker, whose exuberance and enthusiasm are overwhelming for others. Christa emphasizes the importance of understanding self-awareness, and the need for ad…

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Sept. 18, 2025

Ask Christa! I Hate Office Politics - Help! (S4E43)

Summary In this episode of Ask Christa, Christa Dhimo addresses a listener's concerns about office politics, emphasizing the importance of understanding influence in the workplace. Christa defines office politics, differentiating between toxic and constructive politics, and provides actionable stra…

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Sept. 15, 2025

Ask Christa! How Can I Diplomatically Decline Wasteful Meetings? (S4E…

Summary In this episode of Ask Christa!, Christa Dhimo addresses the common workplace issue of excessive meetings and how to navigate them effectively. She consolidates listener questions about declining unnecessary meetings while maintaining professionalism. She also reviews the cultural dynamics …

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Sept. 8, 2025

Ask Christa! What Are Some Tips to be More Focused at Work? (S4E40)

Summary In this episode of Ask Christa!, Christa Dhimo answers the listener question about tips to stay more focused at work. Christa explores what “focus” really means, then emphasizes the importance of making it personal, understanding how our own definition of focus can transform the way we appr…

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Sept. 4, 2025

Ask Christa! Why do I hate deadlines so much? (S4E39)

Summary In this episode, Christa Dhimo addresses the listener question asking, “why do I hate deadlines so much?” She explores the psychological and environmental factors that contribute to stress and aversion to deadlines, emphasizing the importance of understanding individual perceptions and real…

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Sept. 2, 2025

Ask Christa! How Can I Better Manage Anxiety at Work? (S4E38)

Summary In this episode, Christa Dhimo addresses a listener's concerns about managing anxiety in the workplace, particularly in the context of an upcoming reorganization. She emphasizes the importance of understanding anxiety as a natural response to uncertainty and offers practical strategies for …

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Aug. 25, 2025

Ask Christa! How Can I Improve My Presentation Skills? (S3E36)

Summary In this episode, Christa Dhimo addresses a listener's question about improving presentation skills as a way to advance their career. Christa emphasizes the importance of connection with the audience, every-day practice, rigorous preparation, and finding one’s unique style. She discusses the…

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Aug. 21, 2025

Ask Christa! How can I run meetings better? (S3E35)

Summary In this episode, Christa Dhimo addresses the common challenges of effective meeting management, emphasizing the importance of preparation, understanding the purpose of meetings, and fostering a culture of respect—especially a respect for time. She provides practical tips for structuring eff…

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Aug. 18, 2025

Ask Christa! What Do Executives Do? (S3E34)

Summary In this episode of Ask Christa, Christa Dhimo addresses a listener's question about the role of executives in any size organization. She explores the fundamental responsibilities of executives, emphasizing the importance of accountability, communication, decision-making, performance, and ef…

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Aug. 14, 2025

Ask Christa! How Much Finance Should I Learn? (S3E33)

Summary In this episode of Ask Christa, host Christa Dhimo addresses a listener's question about how much finance knowledge and learning a founder needs as they get a business started. She emphasizes that while finance is crucial, it is not the sole focus of a business. Christa discusses the variou…

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July 17, 2025

Ask Christa! Business Basics Series (1/6) - How Do I Learn About Busi…

Summary In this episode of Ask Christa!, host Christa Dhimo introduces a new series focused on business basics, addressing common questions about how to learn about business. The episode itself explores the fundamentals of learning about business. She emphasizes the importance of understanding pers…

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July 14, 2025

Ask Christa! How Can I Feel Less Intimidated by Business? (S3E25)

Summary In the Season 3 opener of Ask Christa!, Christa Dhimo addresses the common intimidation felt by individuals entering the business world and engaging in business concepts, particularly those from non-business backgrounds. She emphasizes that business is fundamentally about understanding peop…

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July 10, 2025

Ask Christa! When Should I Leave? (S2E24)

Summary In this episode of Ask Christa!, host Christa Dhimo addresses a listener's question about the decision to leave a job to pursue career growth. She explores the dynamics of personal engagement and fulfillment in the workplace, the difference between jobs that are merely transactional and tho…

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July 7, 2025

Ask Christa! What Are the Top Skills of Effective Managers? (S2E23)

Summary In this episode of Ask Christa!, Christa Dhimo explores the essential skills of effective managers, emphasizing the importance of self-awareness and the ability to apply learned skills in real-world scenarios. She discusses the challenges of management, particularly in matrix organizations,…

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June 30, 2025

Ask Christa! How Can We Manage Time If We Have No Control of Time? (S…

Summary In this episode, Christa Dhimo explores the complexities of time management, emphasizing that time is a human construct and that managing time is not the same as controlling it. She discusses the importance of understanding personal perceptions of time without the pressure of control, encou…

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June 19, 2025

Ask Christa! Does Management Training Matter? (S2E18)

Summary In this episode of Ask Christa!, Christa Dhimo discusses the critical importance of management training in today's workplace. She emphasizes that effective management is essential for organizational performance, team success, and employee retention, especially in matrix organizational struc…

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June 16, 2025

Ask Christa! How Do I Stop Putting Up with Bad Behavior (Put-Downs) a…

Summary In this episode of Ask Christa!, Christa Dhimo addresses a listener's concern about dealing with a disrespectful coworker whose style is to put others down. She emphasizes the importance of respect and dignity, and the impact respect and dignity has on organizational performance. She discus…

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June 12, 2025

Ask Christa! Managing an Interrupting Boss (S2E16)

Summary In this episode of Ask Christa, Christa Dhimo addresses the challenge of being interrupted by a manager during your team meetings—in front of your team. She explores the concept of an interrupting culture, the reasons behind interruptions, including excitement, poor listening skills, and po…

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June 9, 2025

Ask Christa! How to Give Feedback to a Defensive Team Member?? (S2E15)

Summary In this episode, Christa Dhimo addresses the challenges of giving feedback to defensive coworkers. She explores the reasons behind defensive behavior (including low self-esteem and past criticism), the importance of understanding it, and offers strategies for effectively providing feedback.…

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June 2, 2025

Ask Christa! Season 1 Reflections: What if You Consider Yourself Firs…

Summary In this episode, Christa Dhimo wraps up the first season of her podcast by emphasizing the importance of self-awareness in navigating business challenges and workplace issues. She discusses how understanding our own needs and concerns can enhance our ability to influence, negotiate effectiv…

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May 29, 2025

Ask Christa! What if Failure Didn't Exist in the Business World?? (S1…

Summary In this episode of Ask Christa!, Christa Dhimo explores the concept of failure in the workplace, emphasizing that it is crucial to focus on learning and achieving goals rather than being weighed down by the fear of failure, and the importance of reframing our understanding of failure and su…

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May 26, 2025

Ask Christa! Ugh, I Yelled at Work, and I'm Ashamed-- What Do I Do?? …

Summary In this episode, Christa Dhimo addresses a listener's concern about yelling at work due to stress. She discusses the impact of workplace stress on performance, behavior, and emotional responses, emphasizing the importance of understanding and managing stress levels by diffusing stress to ge…

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May 8, 2025

Ask Christa! Humility or Imposter Syndrome? (S1E6)

Summary In this episode of Ask Christa!, Christa Dhimo explores the complexities of imposter syndrome—which is actually and originally called imposter phenomenon—and humility. She distinguishes between the two concepts, explaining that imposter phenomenon is a feeling of self-doubt regarding one's …

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