Frustrated even though you "did everything right"? That is why we started a podcast for Career Blindspot to talk about what work nuance, triggers, clichés, and most importantly, how to do better for ourselves.
200 episodes in and counting. 🎙️ Tune in, share, and put it to use—because 40 plus hours/week may not be your whole life, but it is still your life.
Would More Time Actually Make You Happier? (It Might Be Energy You're Missing)
Juan questions whether having more free time would actually make people happier, proposing that many would feel just as miserable because they wouldn't know how to use the extra time beyond more consumption or distraction. Juan cites the pandemic as evidence: despite eliminating commutes and gaining time, many remote workers felt more frustrated and guilty, realizing they weren't working continuously and were drained by meetings and distractions. The core issue is framed as energy and quality rest rather than time, illustrated by Juan's wife, Courtney, correcting "I don't have time" to "I don't have energy," and a pattern of meeting others' priorities while neglecting one's own. The episode ends with a practical call to action: set a 5–15 minute timer to close your eyes and rest or nap to regain clarity.
00:00 Would More Time Help
01:06 Pandemic Time Paradox
01:34 Work From Home Reality
02:18 What Fills Free Time
02:54 Time Versus Energy
04:09 Vacation Escape Loop
05:17 Quality Rest Matters
06:31 Clear Head Over Hours
08:30 Slow Down To Recharge
08:50 Five Minute Reset
10:08 Closing Thoughts
30 Jun 2026
Reflecting on Career Influences: My Top 5
Top Five Career Influences: Mentors, Coaches, and Unexpected Teachers
Juan talks about his five key career influences and urges all of you to do the same and reach out to someone you haven't thanked in a while. He credits Louise, a Glendale Community College fitness center boss and health/wellness faculty member, for building confidence and telling him at 19 he'd be paid to speak. Mike D., a City of Glendale Parks and Recreation supervisor, made him feel valued, reliable, and modeled accountability through a sincere apology after overreacting. Brad and Debbie Harper introduced Juan to DISC, motivators, assessments, and health, with Debbie remembered as a generous community connector. Executive coach Rico Pena helped unlock growth with kind, nonjudgmental coaching. Actor Kevin Pollak (and friend Jamie Foxx) influenced through Pollak's early podcast, modeling creative networking, integrity, and long-term career building.
00:00 Top Five Influences Setup
01:02 Louise Sees Your Potential
03:16 Mike and Being Reliable
06:15 Brad and Debbie Assessment World
09:30 Rico Pena Coaching Breakthrough
12:29 Kevin Pollak Creative Networking
15:01 Wrap Up and Call Someone
22 Jun 2026
Nice Is Not A Skill
Why "Nice" Isn't a Compliment at Work
Juan argues that being described as "nice" is rarely a real compliment in the workplace and often signals a lack of meaningful contribution, unlike respect earned through skill or expertise. Using an example from teaching gymnastics at The Little Gym, he explains that vague praise like "good job" provides no useful feedback, similar to calling someone "nice" without specifics. Juan contrasts being merely polite with being kind and assert that aiming to be nice can become an insecurity-driven restraint that prevents honest opinions and skill-building. He observes that difficult coworkers may still be respected for competence, while "nice" can mask low value. Lastly, Juan reflects on regretting times they stayed "nice" instead of calling out racism or sexism, concluding with a call to action to stop prioritizing niceness over values and honesty.
00:00 Is Nice a Compliment
00:40 Nice at Work Means Nothing
01:41 The Empty Praise Problem
02:40 Specific Feedback Wins
03:39 What Kids Really Remember
04:53 Nice Versus Kind
05:41 Respect Beats Niceness
07:17 When Niceness Creates Regret
07:50 Calling Out Bias
08:46 Stop Being Nice
Who has been a guest on Career Blindspot
Names identified in recent episode analyses. Showing up to five guests.
Johnny Harris
Ed Helms
Ed Hermes
Courtney Smith
Drew Shaw
Reach and audience
Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.
YouTube views
34,455
Score snapshot 15 Sept 2025
Apple Podcasts (US)
5.0 / 5
18 ratings
Podcast Authority Score: 73 / 100
A composite of feed quality, social presence, YouTube performance and engagement. Read the methodology.
Quality
96
Social presence
0
YouTube
72
Engagement
51
Contact Career Blindspot
Guest appearances
Books guests
Based on episode analysis; this does not confirm that the show is currently accepting guests.
Questions about Career Blindspot
Who hosts Career Blindspot?
Courtney and Juan host the show. Published by Juan Kingsbury.
How often do new episodes come out?
The show publishes weekly, based on its RSS feed.
Does Career Blindspot take guests?
Yes. Guests have been identified in episode analyses.
Host of Career Blindspot?
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