A Life Worth Working

About A Life Worth Working

A Life Worth Working is a podcast hosted by Michelle Weise and Dana Allen Walsh. Michelle is an education and workforce strategist and author of Long Life Learning: Preparing for Jobs that Don't Even Exist Yet, and Dana is a senior pastor at a progressive church. This isn't a religious podcast. “A Life Worth Working” celebrates the scraps, screw-ups, and detours of our work lives because we believe that nothing is wasted. The hardest moments we endure, from epic failures to employment gaps and crushing disappointments, all become fertile ground for new growth and endless possibilities. So you’ll hear about the wild journeys of our guests: a comedy writer turned ER doctor, a hedge fund manager turned death doula, a musician turned consultant, even a K-pop star turned lawyer—the list goes on! Each guest reveals pivotal moments of growth born from career zig-zags and dead-ends. Forget linear paths! We’re all navigating spaghetti-shaped journeys. And even those who appear to have it all figured out are fumbling their way through. Our guests talk about the pitfalls, the whispers they couldn’t ignore, or the moments of release that enabled them to jump to something unexpected. And perhaps most importantly, they talk about the messiest, hardest, and most painful parts of their journeys that created the conditions for new life and growth. If you’re interested in dwelling in that messy middle, you’ll love this podcast. And best of all, you’ll hear each of these guests in quick, punchy 20-minute episodes.

Publisher

Michelle Weise & Dana Allen Walsh

Category

business · education

Language

en

Explicit

Yes

First episode

5 Apr 2025

Latest episode

16 Dec 2025

Latest episodes

29 episodes in the feed.

1. 

   16 Dec 2025

   The Sh*t Pile Episode with Paul Rucker

   Artist Paul Rucker recounts his early experiences with racism in classical music, which ignited his mission to expose erased histories and promote empathy through uncomfortable truths in this interview.

2. 

   9 Dec 2025

   This Self-taught Cellist Walks Tightropes over Alligators

   Visual artist Paul Rucker discusses his unique career path, blending cello, storytelling, and history to defy expectations and embrace creative curiosity in this interview.

3. 

   2 Dec 2025

   The Sh*t Pile Episode with Vriti Saraf

   Vriti Saraf recounts how harsh criticism and constant setbacks fueled her to establish a nonprofit that supports educators in utilizing new technology in this interview.

Who has been a guest on A Life Worth Working

Names identified in recent episode analyses. Showing up to five guests.

• Paul Rucker
• Vriti Saraf
• Molly Baskette
• Soeun Lee
• Christopher Leech

Reach and audience

Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.

YouTube views

9,819

Score snapshot 15 Sept 2025

Apple Podcasts (US)

5.0 / 5

5 ratings

Spotify

5.0 / 5

11 ratings

Podcast Authority Score: 71 / 100

A composite of feed quality, social presence, YouTube performance and engagement. Read the methodology.

Quality

95

Social presence

0

YouTube

68

Engagement

51

Contact A Life Worth Working

Guest appearances

Books guests

Based on episode analysis; this does not confirm that the show is currently accepting guests.