The Love Monday Podcast

Ryan Houmand

159 episodes listed below

Listen to the show on

Management stories for better Mondays.

The gist

The Love Monday Podcast treats leadership as a daily operating practice, not a motivational slogan. Its episodes connect customer service, employee engagement, bad bosses, role fit, and promotion decisions through plainspoken management stories.

PRESS PLAY

Find your next episode

All episodes

About The Love Monday Podcast

The Love Monday Podcast is a leadership-development show with a working-manager sensibility. Its core question is simple: what would make Monday feel less like something to survive? Recent episodes answer that through service quality, employee engagement, promotion mistakes, customer experience, and role fit. The show is especially interested in the service profit chain and the often-missed idea that a manager's immediate customer may be the employee, not the person outside the building. That reframes leadership as internal service. It also makes customer service less mysterious, because the external customer experience is traced back to whether employees have the tools, training, and confidence to do the work. The examples are concrete. A restaurant group, store tool training, certification incentives, and managers detailing employee cars all become management case studies. The storytelling is not decorative; it is the method. Episodes often begin with a coaching conversation, a workplace observation, or a LinkedIn post, then draw out the leadership principle inside it. The show also spends time on the damage caused by bad bosses. Promotions from within, the Peter Principle, and the anxiety of landing under another poor manager are treated as real career problems rather than office gossip. Job loss and reductions in force appear as part of the broader workplace picture. Other episodes turn toward decision frameworks, including skill, will, and fit, asking whether someone lacks ability, motivation, or alignment with the role. There is also attention to how organizations choose leaders, including a guest conversation with Robert Buckley about selecting people for leadership skills. The tone is plainspoken and reflective. It is not polished corporate theater. It is closer to a manager talking through what has actually happened, what went wrong, and what a better leader would do next. For listeners drawn to practical leadership thinking, the show offers workplace philosophy with receipts from everyday management life.

Made for: It suits managers, HR-minded leaders, team leads, and career-focused employees who want practical language for diagnosing workplace problems. It is especially useful for people thinking about employee engagement, bad bosses, customer service, and role fit.

What sets it apart: The show turns ordinary workplace anecdotes into usable leadership principles, keeping theory close to real manager behavior. Its strongest angle is the link between internal service quality and the customer experience employees eventually create.

In their own words

This podcast is devoted to showing people how to improve their lives by taking specific steps to love Monday just like Friday. Join host Ryan Houmand, author of "A Passion for Monday" as he and his guests break down exactly how you can love Monday just like Friday but for a different reason. For more information on how to Love Monday just like Friday go to: LoveMondayLikeFriday.com

internal service qualityemployee engagementcustomer servicebad bossesleadership selectionskill, will, and fitworkplace storytellingreductions in force

Talks about

Best episodes of The Love Monday Podcast

Short reviews from the PlayNext desk, based on the episodes we processed.

128. How Internal Service Quality Translates to Happy Customers (part 2 in a series)Mar 11, 2026

A practical case for treating employee readiness as customer service.

The episode makes a clear case that customer service starts long before a customer shows up. It uses a real example from training GMs at a restaurant group to show how employee engagement, tools, and certification all shape the kind of service people eventually notice.

Podcasts like The Love Monday Podcast

  • The Remote ShowTyler Sellhorn, Matthew Hollingsworth

    Tyler Selhorn interviews remote-work founders and researchers on building distributed team culture.

  • HBR IdeaCastHarvard Business Review

    Adi Ignatius and Alison Beard interview scholars and executives on management and AI.

  • Safety WarsJames Poesl

    Safety news with the guardrails off.

  • The Tiberius ShowThe Tiberius Show

    Career day with real curiosity.

  • Defining HospitalityDan Ryan

    Hospitality, explained through the people behind it.

  • The Social HotelierSam-Erik Ruttmann

    Hospitality leadership with a human center.

Episodes

  1. 1

    156. Why Companies Keep Creating Bad Managers: The 82% Problem

    Oct 7, 2026·8m
  2. 2

    154. Are You a Good Manager? How Your Employees Really Experience Your Leadership

    Oct 1, 2026·6m
  3. 3

    155. Do You Know What It's Like to Be Managed by You? (Manager Mirror™ Origin Story)

    Oct 1, 2026·9m
  4. 4

    153. AI Replacing Managers? Here’s What Companies Are Getting Wrong

    Sep 23, 2026·15m
  5. 5

    152. AI Won’t Kill Management. It Might Finally Fix It.

    Sep 15, 2026·21m
  6. 6

    151. Are You Managing People or Chairs?

    Sep 9, 2026·15m
  7. 7

    150. Fix It Before Private Equity Does

    Aug 21, 2026·13m
  8. 8

    149. Your Employees Aren't Being Quiet. They're Reading the Room

    Aug 11, 2026·11m
  9. 9

    148. Everybody Needs a Coach...Even Coaches Need a Coach

    Aug 4, 2026·18m
  10. 10

    147. How Leaders Destroy Dream Jobs

    Jul 27, 2026·14m
  11. 11

    146. Why Every Workplace Problem Is Really a Leadership Problem

    Jul 21, 2026·12m
  12. 12

    145. The Real Problem Isn't the Employee—It's the Handoff

    Jul 7, 2026·11m
  13. 13

    144. HR vs Leadership: Why They See Different Problems

    Jun 29, 2026·16m
  14. 14

    143. The Problem Isn't Communication. It's Courage

    Jun 22, 2026·12m
  15. 15

    142. The One Question That Reveals Real Leadership

    Jun 15, 2026·8m
  16. 16

    141. The 3 Manager Blind Spots That Quietly Kill Engagement

    Jun 8, 2026·8m
  17. 17

    140. Employees Told You What's Wrong. Why Hasn't Anything Changed?

    Jun 1, 2026·8m
  18. 18

    139. Why Some Managers Get Followed and Others Get Tolerated

    May 27, 2026·10m
  19. 19

    138. Why Most Leadership Scorecards Fail

    May 19, 2026·12m
  20. 20

    137. Why Your Best Manager and Worst Manager Look the Same on Paper

    May 11, 2026·13m
  21. 21

    136. A Service-Profit Chain Case Study

    May 4, 2026·21m
  22. 22

    135. Employees: Do They Know? Do They Care?

    Hidden gem

    The Love Monday Podcast episode 135 examines recurring workplace performance problems through the question, “Do they know, or do they care?” The host describes two managers whose direct employee escalations created friction until they began following the chain of command.

    Apr 27, 2026·22m·1 clip
  23. 23

    134. Don't Be An Emotional Hostage

    Apr 20, 2026·15m
  24. 24

    133. Using the Love Monday Tools to Be a Great Manager

    Apr 13, 2026·11m
  25. 25

    132. Tools and Indicators to Get Managers Out of Their Chairs to Go Find Out What's Going On

    Apr 8, 2026·22m
  26. 26

    131. Internal Service Quality: The Leadership Advantage Most Companies Miss

    Host Ryan Houmand discusses the service profit chain and the concept that managers' primary customers are their employees, not external customers.

    Mar 30, 2026·25m
  27. 27

    130: Who's Your Customer?

    Mar 23, 2026·17m
  28. 28

    129. The Impact of Internal Service Quality on Customer Experience

    Mar 18, 2026·19m
  29. 29

    128. How Internal Service Quality Translates to Happy Customers (part 2 in a series)

    Hidden gem

    The Love Monday Podcast episode 128, “How Internal Service Quality Translates to Happy Customers (part 2 in a series),” argues that customer experience starts inside the company.

    Mar 11, 2026·22m·1 clip
  30. 30

    127. Great Customer Service is a Managment Tell (Part 1)

    Mar 6, 2026·12m
  31. 31

    126. It Was All Good Until the New Manager Got Promoted: How the Peter Principle Is Killing Teams

    A coaching session about finding focus at work after a new boss arrives.

    Feb 25, 2026·20m·1 clip
  32. 32

    125. How Will You Make Sure You Don't Get Another Bad Boss?

    The host discusses the odds of leaving a good job and the salary increase needed to switch jobs, based on Gallup research.

    Feb 19, 2026·25m·1 clip
  33. 33

    124: What Are the Odds You'll Get a Bad Boss?

    Host Ryan Houmand discusses using storytelling in management and shares a LinkedIn post about the Pepsi Challenge to illustrate workplace lessons.

    Feb 11, 2026·21m
  34. 34

    123. Do Less. Better.

    Host Ryan Houmand shares a coaching story and encourages listeners to love Mondays through mindset shifts.

    Feb 2, 2026·21m
  35. 35

    122. Go Change Some Lives

    Jan 27, 2026·28m
  36. 36

    121. Your Job Isn't Your Purpose; Your Purpose is Bigger Than That

    Jan 20, 2026·30m
  37. 37

    Ep. 120: What Do You Really Value (and Why Monday Tells the Truth)?

    Dec 29, 2025·13m
  38. 38

    Ep. 119 - The Corporate Loneliness Epidemic™: It's An Attraction Problem

    The Love Monday Podcast frames the corporate loneliness epidemic as an "attraction problem" rather than an attendance problem.

    Dec 12, 2025·37m·2 clips
  39. 39

    Ep. 118: Absorption Part 2 - The Solution

    Dec 1, 2025·21m
  40. 40

    Ep. 117: Absorption - Part 1

    Nov 24, 2025·16m
  41. 41

    Ep. 116 - Transformational Coaching or Coping - Getting Clear On the Difference

    Nov 21, 2025·14m
  42. 42

    Ep. 115 - Stop Managing and Start Coaching

    Nov 10, 2025·29m
  43. 43

    Ep. 114 - My Career Drivers and Why You Need to Know Yours

    Nov 7, 2025·11m
  44. 44

    Ep. 113 - Step Away From Your Zone of Incompetence

    Oct 30, 2025·17m
  45. 45

    Ep. 112 - Step Into Your Zone of Genius

    Oct 21, 2025·19m
  46. 46

    Ep. 111 - The Life You Want is On the Other Side of the Work You're Avoiding

    Oct 16, 2025·37m
  47. 47

    Ep. 110 - Tire Pressure is a Measure of Employees Engagement

    Oct 7, 2025·19m
  48. 48

    Ep. 109 - From the Trenches: A One-on-One Success Story

    Sep 30, 2025·10m
  49. 49

    Ep. 108 - Skill, Will, Fit - the Key to Team Performance

    Host Ryan Houmand discusses the concept of skill, will, and fit to assess employee performance and fit in their roles.

    Sep 24, 2025·26m
  50. 50

    Ep. 107 - THE Formula for Loving Monday Organizationally

    Sep 15, 2025·24m
  51. 51

    Ep. 106 - Employee Behavior Problems are Driving Your Customers Away

    Sep 8, 2025·14m
  52. 52

    Ep. 105: Doing What You Do Best... Imperfectly

    Aug 27, 2025·23m
  53. 53

    Ep. 104: Choosing Leaders for Their Leadership Skills with Robert Buckley

    This episode features an interview with HR executive Robert Buckley discussing better methods for selecting leaders and managers in organizations.

    Aug 19, 2025·26m
  54. 54

    Ep. 103: Candles, QWERTY Keyboards, and Lessons in Leader Selection

    Host Ryan Houmand reflects on a conversation about improving manager selection processes and previews an upcoming interview with an HR leader.

    Aug 7, 2025·33m
  55. 55

    Ep. 102: Don't Just Hire People, Hire People-Geniuses

    Jul 29, 2025·12m
  56. 56

    Ep. 101: Detecting Role-Specific Talent on Your Team

    Jul 22, 2025·18m
  57. 57

    Ep. 100: Should Managers Be Liked or Respected?

    Jul 14, 2025·14m
  58. 58

    Ep. 99: Have a Take and Do Not Suck!

    Jun 30, 2025·13m
  59. 59

    Ep. 98: Why Your Team Keeps Escalating (And How to Make It Stop)

    Jun 16, 2025·14m
  60. 60

    Ep. 97: The Breaking Point: Why Employee Loyalty Is Dying — And What Leaders Must Do Now

    Host Ryan Houmand shares a story about someone wrongfully terminated after retraining and returning to a company she loved, exploring workplace challenges and motivation.

    Jun 10, 2025·20m
  61. 61

    Ep. 96: Why Managers Withhold Praise & Recogntion

    May 14, 2025·20m
  62. 62

    Ep. 95: Why They Really Want You Back in the Office

    Host Ryan Houmand discusses the push for return-to-office mandates and argues that remote work proved productivity without surveillance.

    May 1, 2025·23m
  63. 63

    Bonus Episode: Unemployed? Here's how to get a job and love Monday again!

    Apr 22, 2025·26m
  64. 64

    Ep 94: It's Not Personal...Maybe It Should Be

    Apr 17, 2025·15m
  65. 65

    Ep 93: Another Simple Test of a Great Leader - Do They Want To Lead?

    Apr 7, 2025·18m
  66. 66

    Ep 92: The Simplest Test of a Great Leader - Will They Lead?

    Apr 1, 2025·21m
  67. 67

    Ep 91: Why Are Our Standards For Leadership So Low?

    Mar 24, 2025·17m
  68. 68

    Ep 90: How to Test for a New and Better Boss (and Company)

    Host Ryan Houmand argues that layoffs are a sign of management failure and discusses how managers can prevent them.

    Mar 17, 2025·16m
  69. 69

    Ep 89: 12 Questions to Test If You’re in a Good Company (Or If You Should Get Out Now)

    Mar 10, 2025·24m
  70. 70

    Ep 88: If Your Company Has Had Any Layoffs, GET OUT NOW!

    Host Ryan Houmand discusses the decline of corporate loyalty and the rise of indiscriminate layoffs in corporate America.

    Mar 3, 2025·30m
  71. 71

    Ep 87: Lindsey Carnett - Your Personal Brand and Reputation Managment

    Feb 17, 2025·24m
  72. 72

    Ep 86: Robert Buckley - Maximizing AI and Never Forgetting that PEOPLE Create All Value

    Host Ryan Houmand interviews Robert Buckley, Chief People Architect, about building a workplace where people can do great work.

    Feb 10, 2025·34m
  73. 73

    Ep 85: A Tale of Two Managers

    Jan 14, 2025·15m
  74. 74

    Ep 84: Unlocking Success with the Service Profit Chain

    Jan 8, 2025·18m
  75. 75

    Ep 83: Ryan's Rant (You might want to skip this episode)

    Dec 9, 2024·28m
  76. 76

    Ep 82: How to Stop People Managers from Managing Projects

    Dec 2, 2024·34m
  77. 77

    Ep 81: Kaylene Fedor - Be Efficient with Things and Effective with People

    Nov 18, 2024·22m
  78. 78

    Ep 80: Amy Skyles, EdD: Loyalty v. Complacency in the Workplace

    Nov 4, 2024·33m
  79. 79

    Ep 79: Unlocking the Future of Recruiting with Brian Fink: Navigating Trends, Technology, and Candidate Relationships

    Oct 21, 2024·28m
  80. 80

    Ep 78: Anchored Achievers vs. Empowered Performers: Understanding Long-Term Role Holders

    Oct 14, 2024·15m
  81. 81

    Ep 77: The Ugly Side of Reskilling : When Employees Look Like Chess Pieces

    Oct 8, 2024·24m
  82. 82

    Ep 76: Building Team Culture in Spite of Your Org Culture

    Sep 26, 2024·20m
  83. 83

    Ep 75: Brand Evangelism for Leaders

    Aug 28, 2024·33m
  84. 84

    Ep 74: People-Pleasing to Love Monday...and Then Hate It.

    Aug 5, 2024·19m
  85. 85

    Ep 73: Kortney Ross - How managers can help parents LOVE where they work

    Jul 29, 2024·30m
  86. 86

    Ep 72: Boss v. Friend

    Jul 22, 2024·18m
  87. 87

    Ep 71: The Strengths, Weaknesses and Blindspots of Managers

    Jul 4, 2024·21m
  88. 88

    Ep 70: The 5 Conversations (every manager should be having with every employee)

    Jun 8, 2024·26m
  89. 89

    Ep 69: Coaching Mindset v. Manager Mindset

    Jun 2, 2024·20m
  90. 90

    Ep 68: Don't Be So Uptight, Relax and Get Inspired

    May 5, 2024·16m
  91. 91

    Ep 66: Step Into Your Power, Live On Your Terms, Stop Asking If It's Okay

    Apr 8, 2024·35m
  92. 92

    🔒 Members Episode: Welcome to the Love Monday Membership Zone!

    Apr 5, 2024·6m
  93. 93

    🔒 Bonus Episode: Bridge #3 A Safe Haven & Secure Base (Part 1)

    Apr 4, 2024·25m
  94. 94

    Ep 65: From Manager to Coach - focusing people leaders on people things

    Apr 4, 2024·27m
  95. 95

    EP 64: Building Better Managers

    Mar 25, 2024·23m
  96. 96

    Ep 63: The Curious Case of the Credibility of Women

    Mar 18, 2024·19m
  97. 97

    Bonus: 3 Couples - Putting the 7 Bridges to Work

    Feb 29, 2024·10m
  98. 98

    Ep 62: Bridge #3 Emotional Availability

    Feb 23, 2024·15m
  99. 99

    BONUS: If You're Going to Do a Layoff, Don't F*ck It Up

    Feb 8, 2024·15m
  100. 100

    Ep 61: 7 Bridges - Bridge #2 Bias for Communication

    Feb 4, 2024·35m
  101. 101

    Ep 60: Taylor Swift & Travis Kelce and the Bridge of Attraction (Bridge #1)

    Jan 22, 2024·36m
  102. 102

    Ep 59: Thriving in 2024 - The 7 Bridges of a Solid Relationship

    Jan 15, 2024·26m
  103. 103

    Ep 58: How a Stay-at-Home Mom is Shifting Her Focus Back to a Career

    Jan 8, 2024·19m
  104. 104

    EP 57: It's Christmas day...and it's Monday...hopefully, this Monday's better

    Dec 25, 2023·23m
  105. 105

    Ep 56: Where Are You Now: the Importance of continual self-assessment with guest Bob Scrivner

    Dec 18, 2023·41m
  106. 106

    Ep. 55: Work-Life Balance for Managers

    Dec 8, 2023·20m
  107. 107

    Ep 54: Your DIY Roadmap to Loving Monday

    Nov 27, 2023·22m
  108. 108

    Ep 53: Everybody Needs a Coach

    Nov 14, 2023·23m
  109. 109

    Ep 52: Responding to Change (Anniversary Episode - We're 1 Year old!)

    Nov 10, 2023·33m
  110. 110

    Ep 51: Getting the Most Out of Your Career: #4 Networking and Building Relationships

    Oct 30, 2023·21m
  111. 111

    Ep 50: Getting the Most Out of Your Career: #2 Continuous Learning and Skill Development

    Oct 17, 2023·29m
  112. 112

    Ep 49: Getting the Most Out of Your Career: #1 Self Reflection

    Oct 9, 2023·28m
  113. 113

    Ep 48: Beware The Drop!

    Oct 2, 2023·22m
  114. 114

    Ep 47: Love Friday Just Like Monday...wait, what?

    Sep 25, 2023·21m
  115. 115

    Ep 46: Engagement and Motivation for Managers

    Sep 19, 2023·24m
  116. 116

    Ep 45: Getting Your Work and Life in Balance

    Sep 13, 2023·17m
  117. 117

    Ep 44: Conflict Resolution and Managing Difficult Conversations

    Sep 4, 2023·26m
  118. 118

    Ep 43: Time Management & Prioritization

    Aug 28, 2023·20m
  119. 119

    Ep 42: Ron Thurston: The Power of Empathy, Curiosity and Focus

    Aug 21, 2023·35m
  120. 120

    Ep 41: What Makes a Great Manager Great?

    Aug 16, 2023·23m
  121. 121

    Ep 40: How to Know if You Have a Horrible Boss

    Aug 7, 2023·31m
  122. 122

    Ep 39: Fixing Your Horrible Boss Problem: #1 Interviewing Your Boss

    Jul 31, 2023·25m
  123. 123

    Ep 38: Why Do I Hate Monday: Answers to Common Questions

    Jul 24, 2023·35m
  124. 124

    Ep 37: Stuck in the Zone of Competence

    Jul 17, 2023·27m
  125. 125

    Ep 36: Gaelle Chapon: Loving Monday Through Mindfullness

    Jul 3, 2023·39m
  126. 126

    Ep 35: Steve Arntz: Bring Back Recess!

    Jun 26, 2023·37m
  127. 127

    Ep 34: You've Got to Be Able To Tell Your Story Well

    Jun 19, 2023·23m
  128. 128

    Ep 32: Lisa Rangel: Getting Unstuck When You Hate Monday

    Jun 12, 2023·32m
  129. 129

    Ep 31: The Sunday Scaries

    Jun 5, 2023·19m
  130. 130

    EP 30: Do You Have a Career or Just a Job?

    May 29, 2023·22m
  131. 131

    Ep 29: Abbreviated Episode: "Dude You Gotta Commit"

    May 22, 2023·6m
  132. 132

    Ep 28: Interviewing Your New Boss

    May 15, 2023·22m
  133. 133

    Ep 27: Tell Me Why I Don't Like Monday

    May 8, 2023·26m
  134. 134

    Ep 26: Kayleigh Fazan: Making ROI - Ripples of Impact

    May 1, 2023·34m
  135. 135

    Ep 25: You've Gotta Swipe Right on Your Next Job

    Apr 24, 2023·23m
  136. 136

    Ep 24: The Only Way to Do Great Work is to Love What You Do

    Apr 17, 2023·27m
  137. 137

    Ep 23: Don't Half-ass Your Transformation

    Apr 10, 2023·27m
  138. 138

    EP 22: Are You Playing Small?

    Apr 3, 2023·33m
  139. 139

    Ep 21: Building Trust Through Honest Feedback with Guest: David Alsop

    Mar 27, 2023·38m
  140. 140

    Ep 20: Invisible Women in the Workplace

    Mar 20, 2023·28m
  141. 141

    Ep 19: The Top Gun Approach to Loving Monday Just Like Friday

    Mar 13, 2023·21m
  142. 142

    Ep 18: What is Driving Your Career?

    Mar 6, 2023·40m
  143. 143

    Ep 17: Before They Quit, They Quit

    Feb 27, 2023·35m
  144. 144

    Ep 16: Do You Have a Great Job, a Good Job or a Bad Job?

    Feb 21, 2023·32m
  145. 145

    Ep 15: Your Vision, Value, and Vitality

    Feb 13, 2023·13m
  146. 146

    Ep 14: Why You Suck as a Manager

    Feb 6, 2023·36m
  147. 147

    Ep 13: Now, Keep Your Eye On the Road

    Jan 30, 2023·27m
  148. 148

    Now, Keep Your Eye On the Road

    Jan 30, 2023·30m
  149. 149

    Ep 12: Sometimes You've Gotta Check Your Rearview Mirror

    Jan 23, 2023·24m
  150. 150

    Ep 11: Talent Density on Your Team

    Jan 16, 2023·33m
  151. 151

    Ep 10: Having a Horrible Boss and Keeping Them

    Jan 10, 2023·34m
  152. 152

    Ep 9: Trying to Be Something You're Not

    Jan 3, 2023·31m
  153. 153

    Ep 8: Your Comfort Zone: "What're you gonna do?"

    Dec 20, 2022·38m
  154. 154

    Ep 7: Loving Monday Right Where You Are

    Dec 12, 2022·33m
  155. 155

    Ep 6: What's Your Zone of Genius?

    Dec 6, 2022·36m
  156. 156

    Ep 4: How to Avoid Hitting Rock-Bottom

    Nov 29, 2022·38m
  157. 157

    Ep 3: 12 Things Your Boss Has to Provide for You to Love Monday

    Nov 22, 2022·37m
  158. 158

    Ep 2: Laid off - Now What?

    Nov 14, 2022·27m
  159. 159

    Pilot Episode: The 4 Mistakes That Make People Hate Monday

    Nov 9, 2022·15m