A toxic workplace rarely reveals itself all at once.
It builds slowly.
In the tension people avoid.
In the fear of saying the wrong thing.
In the stress that follows you home and starts to change how you show up.
And over time, even good people can begin reacting in ways that don’t feel like themselves.
Because when you’re stuck in survival mode, your clarity gets cloudy.
Your confidence starts to slip.
And it becomes harder to tell what’s really happening… and how to move forward.
My special guest today is Theresa Chilcoat, and she’s simplifying how to survive a toxic workplace.
Here’s how.
My special guest today is Theresa Chilcoat and she’s simplifying how to survive a toxic workplace.
We tackle and simplify all aspects of it, including:
- What actually defines a toxic workplace, and how to tell when you’re in one.
- What her personal breaking point was, and what made her decide this story needed to become a book.
- What’s happening internally when people go into survival or reactive mode and start acting out of character.
- How her four-step response works in real life:
- Self-awareness
- Self-control
- Self-care
- Self-empowerment.
- And the single most important pause or reset someone can use right before they react, to regain clarity and agency.
Q: Are you needing to learn how to survive a toxic workplace? If yes, this one is for you.
It’s time to #DoTheThing!
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<What’s catching my eye this week>
- 3 hours of (free) focus music for deep concentration - Quiet Quest - Study Music
- Hire Mary Baird, PHR to help you run a 30-day Employee Experience Accelerator to listen better to your workforce, rebuild trust in your senior leadership and improve culture at work - The Simplifiers
- 50 powerful questions to help you reflect - The Institute of You
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My challenge for you this week:
How are you going to take what you’ve learned in today’s episode and take action by learning how to survive a toxic workplace? What’s one thing you’ll do differently? Share it with me, privately or publicly. Snap a photo of you doing the thing, and send me a DM over on LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/in/thesimplifiers) for added accountability and support!
Links, books and apps mentioned:
Resource: Find Theresa (Teri) Chilcoat, MS, PHR, SHRM-CP on LinkedIn - click here
Book: Surviving the Toxic Workplace: From an HR insider: How to Reclaim your Power, Peace, and Happiness - Theresa Chilcoat
Freebie: Text the word POWER to 33777 to receive a free sample of Theresa’s book!
Book: The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People: 30th Anniversary Edition - Stephen R. Covey
Podcast: How to stick to your boundaries (ALL-STAR), featuring Terri Cole - The Simplifiers Podcast
Podcast: How to be a better leader (guided visualization) - The Simplifiers Podcast
Hire Mary to Teach Your Teams AI at Work
More organizations are bringing me in to teach their teams how to use AI at work — practically, ethically, and strategically.
Whether you’re rolling out ChatGPT, Microsoft Copilot, or Gemini, I show non-techy teams across all levels and departments how to use AI in simple, practical ways to use immediately. Your people will walk away clear, confident, and ready to use AI to reduce busy work and drive better results. Great as an ERG workshop, too! Curious? Visit marybaird.co and click “Let’s Talk!” to book a call and see if it’s right for your teams.
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About Theresa Chilcoat:
Theresa (Teri) Chilcoat - She is the founder of Inner Authority Co. and a human resources strategist with more than 15 years of experience in employee relations and leadership development.
She has helped executives, managers, and employees navigate conflict, culture change, and burnout recovery to build healthier workplaces.
She is also the author of “Surviving the Toxic Workplace from an HR Insider: How to Reclaim Your Power, Peace, and Happiness” and leads her BOLD Roadmap workshop on self-awareness, authentic leadership, and sustainable success.
Where Theresa hangs out online:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/teri-chilcoat-phr
Website: https://www.innerauthoritycompany.com
Theresa’s vote for the perfect guest on The Simplifiers Podcast:
Caleb Spitler - He is a keynote speaker, communication coach, and founder of BecomeAGreatSpeaker.com. As a nationally sought-after expert in communication, he helps leaders and teams connect more effectively in high-stakes moments, with experience serving organizations that include the NFL, Amazon, Disney, Google, and Uber. His work centers on helping people communicate with more clarity, build stronger relationships, and create better business results through his Connect First Principle and PAID method. Caleb has delivered 350+ presentations, coached 100+ clients, and spoken in 3 countries.
