Everything Counts
A podcast about careers, detours, and the absurdity of work. Host Kristin Gardner talks with guests about the twists, pivots, and tiny choices that shape our lives. With humor, feminism, and honesty, Everything Counts (but nothing is real) reminds us that even when nothing makes sense, everything we do counts.
Episodes
21 episodes
Susan: Trust what your body knows.
In this episode, Kristin talks with Susan (she/her) who spent years building a successful career in the legal world before realizing that being good at something is not the same as feeling aligned with it. Together they explore the path ...
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Season 2
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Episode 5
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43:46
Brielle: You can have many lives.
In this episode, Kristin sits down with Brielle (she, her), one of the first friends she made after moving to New York City and someone whose career has always been marked by a rare sense of intentionality.Brielle works in corpora...
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Season 2
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Episode 4
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43:30
Josie: Put your foot down.
In this episode, Kristin talks with Josie (she/her), a project engineer in the construction industry who helps manage the building of massive projects like hospitals and data centers. Josie shares how she found her way into construction ...
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Season 2
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Episode 3
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32:56
Zakiya: Don't bury your gifts.
In this episode, Kristin sits down with Zakiya (she/her), Vice President of Philanthropic Partnerships at the Climate and Clean Energy Equity Fund, to talk about leadership, identity, and the through-lines that shape a career.A Be...
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Season 2
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Episode 2
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46:53
Amber: Don't force the fit.
Season 2 kicks off with Amber (she/her), someone who has never stayed in a life that didn’t fit. From Texas Tech to flight attendant, from a post-9/11 pivot to a master’s degree in London, from being “under-qualified” for marketing roles...
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Season 2
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Episode 1
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39:36
Bonus: Try it first, decide later.
In this bonus episode of Everything Counts (but nothing is real), Kristin sits down with her almost 10-year-old niece, Quinn, for an off-script conversation about school, art, animals, ambition, and all the possibilities that ex...
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Season 1
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Episode 14
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33:29
Bonus: A career that left room for life.
In this special bonus episode, Kristin sits down with Nana (Loren’s grandmother) to talk about work, family, and the quiet choices that shape a life. Raised on a farm in rural North Florida, Nana spent decades working part-time as a book...
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Season 1
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Episode 13
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38:51
Celia: People matter most.
People matter most.In the Season 1 finale of Everything Counts (But Nothing Is Real), Kristin sits down with one of her closest friends, Celia (they/them), to reflect on careers, values, and the human relationships...
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Season 1
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Episode 12
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42:31
Sara: Say it, then do it.
Say it, then do it.In this episode, Kristin sits down with Sara (she/her), a longtime friend and education leader whose career has been shaped by ambition, follow-through, and a deep belief in joy as a leadership practice. ...
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Season 1
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Episode 11
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39:44
Advice: A grain of salt and a pair of soft pants.
A grain of salt and a pair of soft pants.In this episode, Kristin and Loren break the fourth wall on career conversations and swap the usual interview format for a casual, candid advice session.From figuring o...
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Season 1
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Episode 10
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35:21
Kenzie: Adaptation is a skill.
Adaptation is a skill.In this episode, Kristin sits down with her sister Kenzie (she/her) for a conversation about nonlinear careers, survival skills, and what it really means to “read the room.”Kenzie’s path, from r...
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Season 1
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Episode 9
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32:42
Heidi: Do all the things, with purpose.
Do all the things, with purpose.In this episode, Kristin sit down with longtime friend and multi-hyphenate creative Heidi (she/her)--marketer, DJ, podcaster, higher-ed storyteller, civic-tech comms pro, and now small-busine...
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Season 1
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Episode 8
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30:57
Dolores: Life changes. So do we.
Life changes. So do we.Dolores returns for part 2 to share what life looks like after the classroom. She talks about how retirement became “the best job she’s ever had,” from early-morning VIPKid lessons with students in Ch...
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Season 1
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Episode 7
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26:52
Dolores: Work changes. So do we.
Work changes. So do we.In Part 1 of this two-episode arc, Kristin sits down with her mom, Dolores (she/her), to explore a life built in classrooms and the way work evolves as people do. Dolores shares how she felt called to...
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Season 1
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Episode 6
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25:16
Mary Ann: It's not that serious.
It's not that serious.In this episode, Kristin talks with Mary Ann (she/her), a former ska-punk zine kid turned corporate law firm website manager, about what it really means to not dream of labor. They trace her p...
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Season 1
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Episode 5
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33:17
Kristin: Nothing is real, but you are!
Nothing is real, but you are!In this special episode, the mic flips as host Kristin becomes the guest. She traces her path from bookstore counters to boardroom tables, unpacking what it means to lead yourself before you lea...
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Season 1
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Episode 4
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29:32
Talia: Ease is a power move.
Ease is a power move.Executive coach and organizational psychologist Talia (she/her) joins to talk about what happens when “working hard” becomes who you are, and what it takes to rewrite that story. We trace her path from ...
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Season 1
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Episode 3
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37:54
Sam: Leadership doesn't have to be loud.
Leadership doesn't have to be loud.In this episode of Everything Counts (but nothing is real), host Kristin interviews Sam (she/her), an operations leader with a rich background in nonprofit work. From aspir...
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Season 1
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Episode 2
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33:29