Bonus Episode – The Watchers, The Workers & The Wake-Up Call

Ever fix a problem—only to be blamed later? Ever show up, offer real support, and get tossed aside with no thanks? In this episode, Daniel Thabudd Nelson and the Sobriety Crew dive deep into emotional labor, broken leadership...

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May 10, 2025

Bonus Episode – The Watchers, The Workers & The Wake-Up Call

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Ever fix a problem—only to be blamed later? Ever show up, offer real support, and get tossed aside with no thanks? In this episode, Daniel Thabudd Nelson and the Sobriety Crew dive deep into emotional labor, broken leadership, and the burnout no one sees.We explore what happens when truth is silenced, helpers are undervalued, and trust is weaponized. From tech support to team dynamics, it’s all connected—and it’s time to talk about it.🎧 Featuring:
• Jane Marie (Stats & Facts)
• Chucky Chip (Tech On Deck)
• Marcus the Motivator
• Anna Heryiwego & Curious Joe
• Host: Daniel Thabudd Nelson💡 Topics include:
• Workplace neglect & emotional disconnect
• Leadership vs. control
• Trust, accountability & recognition
• Tools to patch your culture (Slack, Donut Bot, Officevibe, Reflectly)
• The quiet cost of being “the reliable one”🔥 Plus, a sneak peek at Season 4:

Support or Surveillance?
Parenting for Power vs. Purpose
Quiet Quitting: Burnout You Don’t See
Love or leverage?

This isn’t just a podcast—it’s healing in high definition.
Stay absolutely focused. Stay awesome.
💌 Subscribe to our newsletter — new every month!Newsletter | Absolutely Focused Radio Podcast🎯 Like, share, and stay absolutely focused.

Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/absolutely-focused-radio-podcast--6516641/support.

Transcript

WEBVTT

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In shadows.

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Have you ever helped someone fix their problem, only to

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be blamed for the mess later. It's like you're just

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trying to type the word shift in an email to

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your boss about an employee's new schedule, but the f

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key isn't working. Now you've sent two emails, and somehow

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you're the one being blamed for how it came out.

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And then once you resolve their issue, they acted like

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they never knew you, used you, tossed you aside, No

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thank you, no recognition, just silence.

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Welcome to Absolutely Focused Radio, where truth sheds its muzzle,

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silence gets broken, and healing dares to speak.

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I'm far from perfect. I've made mistakes. I've had my

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share of misjudgments. I've been betrayed, and yeah I've been

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mistrusted too. But here's what I've learned about support, Real support,

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the kind I've given most of my life in tech

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and in truth. When you work in customer support, you

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learn something fast. You're not always going to get the

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full story. Some folks will own it, they'll say, yeah,

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I clicked the wrong thing, But others they'll spin a tail.

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The lights flickered, the screen glitched, the mouse froze and

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somehow it's your fault. Still, you show up, You troubleshoot,

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you patch the pain. Why Because your mind is trained

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to see the pattern behind the problem. You support people

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even from a distance, because you know what it's like

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to be unheard, unseen, overwhelmed.

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And today we're not just talking about tech. We're talking

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about life. The people who love the results but dodge

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the responsibility, the ones who crave power but reject reflection,

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who want support with no reciprocity, and credit with no contribution.

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This episode, it's not about pointing fingers. It's a moment

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to check ourselves, to ask, am I showing up with love,

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intention and accountability.

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You're now tuned in with the Sobriety crew.

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Hi, I'm Jane Marie with the stats in facts.

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Look, I'm not just the guy you call when your

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screen freezes or your passwords. Got more care characters than

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a Marvel movie. I'm Chucky Chip and I decode the

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digital drama before it turns into workplace trauma system lag.

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I see the bug before it bites slack meltdown. I'll

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reroute your vibe and your WiFi tech tantrum. At two am,

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I'm the one patching code and calming chaos with one

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hand on the keyboard and.

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The other holding coffee.

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Because support isn't just about fixing tech, It's about fixing trust.

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And around here, empathy is part of the algorithm. You

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bring the mess, I bring the maintenance.

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Hi, I'm Macus the Motivata.

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Special guests announcer Anna, Harrywego and Curious Joe and.

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Me, Daniel Nelson, your sobriety.

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Buddy, let's heal, let's reflect, let's get absolutely focused.

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Let's talk about this guy, manager Magnifico. He struts through

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the office like his coffee costs more than and your rent.

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He knows every rule, runs every meeting, tracks every deadline.

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But here's what he doesn't do. He never says good job,

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never checks in unless something's wrong, never listens only delegates.

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Then one day people stop showing up on time, they

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stop caring. The energy dips, And what does Magnificode do.

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He blames you for not motivating others, even though he

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never gave you support or direction in the first place.

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That's not leadership. That's deflection disguised as a title.

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Eighty five percent of employees say being recognized for their

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work is a major motivator, but only twenty three percent

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feel their leadership actually sees them, and sixty eight percent

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of teams cite emotional disconnect from management as the reason

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they mentally check out. If you want people to show up,

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you've got to show them they matter, not just their output.

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Your team isn't crashing from workload, it's crashing from emotional neglect.

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If you want a high functioning system, you need to

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patch the bugs in your culture. Here are three apps

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that restore connection and accountability. Slack plus Donut Bust just

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builds human connection into work culture with casual check ins

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and real conversations. Office Vibe collects anonymous feedback so you

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can see what your team's afraid to say.

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But let's be clear, trust is everything. If you use

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feedback as a tool for retaliation, you've just broken the

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system you claim to fix. Building trust works both ways.

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If you want honesty, you have to honor it, not

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punish it.

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Reflectly a personal emotional journal that helps you stay emotionally

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regulated as a leader or creator, Because leading without grounding

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it that's not sustainable. That's burnout waiting to happen. Update

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your approach, or your system will crash.

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Let me say this too. Nobody's perfect. We all look

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in the mirror and think we're doing the best we can.

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Maybe I thought I was the best text, the best motivator,

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the most reliable one in the crew. But I showed up.

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You saw me on good days, you saw me on

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tired days. We laughed, we pushed through. But here's the

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part people don't talk about. Some folks only love you

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when you're down. The moment you start to heal, they

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disappear or get jealous. They don't mind pain as long

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as it's shared, but healing alone that intimidates them.

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You want your team to be uly, but you're never grateful.

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You want your kids to respect you, but you pit

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one parent against the other. You want your partner to

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support you, but you've created a world where only you

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get to win. Here's the wake up call. Support isn't control,

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leadership isn't silenced, and love isn't leverage.

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I don't chase titles. I protect peace, and I remember

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who showed up when it wasn't popular. You can't build

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emotional loyalty on empty praise. Recognition is the foundation. It

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doesn't leave people are not processors. Don't run them without

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input and expect clean output. If you won't lead with love,

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don't be surprised when your circle shrinks.

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That was the Watchers, the Workers, and the wake up

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call coming up in season four. Support or surveillance when

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friends keep tabs, parenting for power versus parenting with purpose,

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quiet quitting, the emotional burnout. Nobody says sees love or leverage.

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How emotional manipulators win. This was just a glimpse of

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what's ahead, And remember every day is a chance to

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outgrow yesterday. There's no need to compete when you're focused

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on becoming complete. This ain't just a podcast, it's healing

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and high definition. So stay absolutely focused and stay awesome.

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And hey, don't forget to like, share and subscribe to

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our newsletter. A fresh one drops every month until next time.

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Peace the opposite way, don't let me with leaverish, don't

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trace me for pain, don't furnish when sunshine starts clearing

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the rain album Make for a sink at a table

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I built. I'll dye with the truth, even solo with guilt.