The People Work Podcast
For service providers, caregivers, and leaders who do people-centered work — and want to find joy in it.
The People Work is a weekly podcast hosted by Alyssa Hicks — hairstylist, educator, mentor, travel agent, and someone who has spent her entire career showing up for people. This podcast exists for everyone in the service industry, healthcare, hospitality, education, and care work who loves what they do and still finds it heavy sometimes.
Because here's the truth nobody talks about enough: when your work revolves around people, joy doesn't come automatically. It's something you practice. And connection — true, human, intentional connection — is the most important skill you'll ever develop in this kind of work.
Every week, Alyssa brings honest conversations, real stories, and practical tools to help you:
→ Choose joy deliberately — even on the hard days
→ Connect more deeply with the people you serve
→ Lead yourself and your team with grace and intention
→ Protect the calling that brought you to this work in the first place
Whether you're a hairstylist, a nurse, a salon owner, a teacher, a caregiver, or anyone who serves people for a living — this podcast was made for you.
Finding joy, purpose, and peace in people-centered work.
New episodes every week. Subscribe wherever you listen to podcasts.
The People Work Podcast
Latest Episodes
10 Episodes, 10 Truths: The Lessons That Are Shaping This Podcast
Episode 10 — 10 Episodes, 10 Truths: The Lessons That Are Shaping This PodcastTen episodes in. I can't believe we're here.When I started The People Work, I had one goal: to say out loud the things that people-centered workers fe...
What Your Hands Know: The Hidden Power of Touch in People Work
What Your Hands Know: The Hidden Power of Touch in People-Centered WorkMy mom used to tell me my hands had healing in them.This episode is the one I wasn't ready to talk about until now. It's about what our hands actually do bey...
Burnout, Boundaries, and Starting Over: How Jen St. Gelais Went From Bedside Nurse to Travel CEO
Episode 7 - Burnout, Boundaries, and Starting Over: How Jen St. Gelais Went From Bedside Nurse to Travel CEO"I wanted to be a nurse my entire life."And then one day, Jen St. Gelais realized it was time to make a choice.J...
The Familiarity Effect: Why Intentional Travel Makes You Better at the Work You Love
Episode 6 - The Familiarity Effect: Why Intentional Travel Makes You Better at the Work You LoveThere is a stillness in Alaska that is hard to find anywhere else. Glaciers that have existed for thousands of years. Quiet that actually ge...
Burnout in People-Centered Work: How to Stay Without Letting It Hollow You Out
Episode 5 — Burnout in People-Centered Work: How to Stay Without Letting It Hollow You OutBurnout doesn't always look like quitting. Sometimes it looks like showing up every single day — and feeling nothing.In people-centered wo...