Better Than This Ep. 1: Show Notes

🎙 Episode Overview

Welcome to the very first episode of Better Than This — the show for ambitious humans who are done with the toxic status quo and are ready to build something better.

In this foundational episode, host and resident instigator Meghan French Dunbar explores why work feels so broken — and how we got here. From rising burnout to outdated business models, she lays out how the “old playbook” is harming workers and leaders alike… and why we need a radical new approach.

If you’ve ever felt like you’re doing everything “right” and still burning out, this episode is your wake-up call — and your invitation to something better.

🎧 In This Episode, You’ll Learn:

• Meghan’s personal story of struggling with mental health issues while leading a successful media company
  
• The hidden societal forces driving workplace stress, overwhelm, and inequality
  
• 5 toxic business norms that are making us sick, stressed, and disengaged
  
• The history of how the “old playbook” came to dominate business — and why it no longer serves us
  
• The promise of a new playbook built on well-being, equity, and true success
  
  

🔥 Key Takeaways:

• You're not the problem. The way we’re working is.
  
• Overwork, lack of autonomy, and winner-takes-all culture are structural issues — not personal failings.
  
• A new model of success is not only possible — it’s already happening in workplaces around the world.
  
• Changing the way we work starts with naming the problem and imagining a radically better way forward.
  
  

🛠 Resources & References:

• Meghan’s upcoming book: This Isn’t Working (coming August 2025)
  
• Stats from the American Psychological Association on stress and burnout
  
• Influential business leaders mentioned: Eileen Fisher, Jane Wurwand, Susan Griffin-Black, Alfa Demmellash
  
• Milton Friedman’s 1970 NYT article on shareholder primacy
  
  

💬 Favorite Quotes:

• “Maybe it’s not you. Maybe it’s business.”
• “We don’t have to sacrifice our well-being to succeed — there’s a better way.”
• “With great knowledge comes great responsibility.”
  
  

🚀 Want More?

→ Subscribe to the Better Than This podcast for weekly episodes on the new playbook of business
→ Get weekly insights and tools via Substack: The New Playbook
→ Schedule Meghan for your next leadership event or retreat

🎧 Listen & Subscribe

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👉 iHeartRadio
👉 YouTube

💌 Loved the episode?

Leave a review, share it with a friend, or tag @meghanfrenchdunbar on LinkedIn with your favorite takeaway.