Women in leadership are often praised for being helpful, dependable, and willing to take on more.
Until “more” turns into burnout.

In this episode of Loud & Lifted, Betsy sits down with Carrie of Hey Work Friend, an HR professional turned workplace truth-teller who helps employees navigate boundaries, toxic bosses, burnout, and the conversations we all wish came with a script.

Carrie brings the inside scoop from years in corporate HR, and she does not sugarcoat it: HR is not your friend, toxic bosses often do not change, and working yourself into the ground will not protect you from layoffs, bad leadership, or burnout.

And this conversation gets real.

Carrie shares how she worked seven days a week out of fear, pushed through pain, ignored her own health, and eventually developed an autoimmune disorder — only to be laid off while on medical leave. It is the kind of story too many high-achieving women know in some version: giving everything to a job that was never going to give everything back.

She explains:
▪ Why boundaries feel so hard at work — especially for high achievers and women
▪ The “fawn response” and why people-pleasing can feel automatic
▪ How to say no without over-explaining or sounding difficult
▪ What to do when your boss texts after hours
▪ Why HR should be approached with facts, documentation, and clear evidence
▪ How toxic bosses impact your mental and physical health
▪ Why work has to be viewed as a transaction — not a test of loyalty

This episode is a wake-up call for anyone who has been answering emails at night, absorbing everyone else’s chaos, saying yes out of fear, or confusing burnout with commitment.

Because being good at your job should not cost you your health.

Chapters
01:18 Meet Carrie: HR, toxic bosses, and workplace boundaries0
2:11 Why boundaries feel so hard at work
03:10 Burnout is not a personal failure0
4:03 The fawn response and people-pleasing at work0
4:59 Why women struggle with boundaries differently
08:10 Why setting boundaries takes practice0
8:50 How to push back with your boss0
9:22 The 3-step script for saying no professionally
10:48 Why saying no can reflect well on
11:40 Setting boundaries around after-hours texts and emails
14:38 How to communicate evening boundaries clearly
15:17 When a boss ignores your boundaries
17:37 Toxic bosses and when to go to HR
19:20 Why documentation matters before escalating
21:21 Setting boundaries with coworkers
22:21 How to say no without damaging the relationship
24:12 The power of a warm no
25:17 When to involve your manager
27:14 How to recover when you fumble a boundary
29:28 What happens when you ignore your limits
31:46 Carrie’s personal burnout story
34:50 Why sacrificing everything for work is not worth it

Links
https://www.instagram.com/heyworkfriend/
https://heyworkfriend.com/