Episodes

In this episode, Kaila and Kyle are joined by author Brad Stulberg to dig into what we get wrong about “excellence,” what true excellence really looks like, and the achievable strategies to achieve it. Also check out Brad’s new book, The Way of Excellence: A Guide to True Greatness and Deep Satisfaction in a Chaotic World. 00:00 Intro 02:08 How Brad define’s “excellence” 05:47 What is “zombie burnout”? 07:59 How to avoid a sh**** flow state 11:05 Identity house 18:38 Should we be thinking ...

In this episode, Kaila and Kyle answer listener-submitted questions around career advice and work dilemmas. From just how friendly you should get with your boss to how to ask for remote work accommodations, this episode addresses a wide range of relatable scenarios. 00:00 Intro 02:56 Question 1 - Can you befriend your boss? 10:37 Question 2 - Can I ask for a raise after a round of layoffs? 15:50 Question 3 - How can I ask for remote work accommodations? 21:57 Question 4 - How should you pre...

In this episode, Kaila and Kyle are joined by Aiko Bethea, Founder of Rare Coaching, to talk about the hidden bullsh*t at work, how it’s holding you back, and what you can do about it. From holding yourself, your colleagues, and even bosses accountable, to freeing yourself of a scarcity mindset, this conversation is packed with practical advice for anyone feeling stuck in their career. And don’t forget to pick up Aiko’s new book, Anchored, Aligned, Accountable: A Framework for Transcending Bull...

In this episode, Kaila and Kyle break down the five sneaky (and surprising) things that are affecting your career, and what you can do about them. 00:00 Intro 02:42 Why your commute is more important than you think 08:00 Tactics if your commute is negatively impacting your career 11:00 How discussing your AI use can impact your career 17:59 The consequences of being unknown at work 22:27 Tactics for making yourself better known at work 24:51 How bad tech affects your career 30:16 Dealing...

In this episode, Kaila and Kyle are joined by Rebecca Hinds, PhD, author of Your Best Meeting Ever: 7 Principles for Designing Meetings That Get Things Done. Rebecca breaks down the science behind why meetings so often fail—and shares research-backed tactics to decide which meetings are actually worth having, and how to design them for better outcomes. 00:00 Intro 02:36 Why do meetings suck? 03:47 Meeting Doomsday 05:40 Determining which meetings are actually useful 08:03 Considering remote...

In this episode, Kaila and Kyle discuss the politics of displaying wealth at work, and how the perception of it depends on what stage you are at in your career. When does it go from being gauche to cool to flaunt your wealth at the office? And is it ever strategic to appear more or less wealthy than you actually are? 00:00 Intro 01:40 Why we’re discussing wealth at work 04:43 Kaila’s and Kyle’s experiences with the perception of wealth early in their careers 10:45 What the research says abou...

In this episode, Kaila and Kyle are joined by LinkedIn Chief Economic Opportunity Officer (and former speech writer for President Obama) Aneesh Raman to talk about why we can be optimistic about AI. Aneesh’s new book, Open to Work: How to Get Ahead in the Age of AI, challenges the notion that AI is the death of entry-level work and instead argues that the technology is simply changing work as we know it in exciting and innovative ways. 00:00 Intro 02:30 How does AI unleash human potential? 06...

While there is a lot of advice out there about what to do if you’ve been laid off, there isn’t a lot of information for how to manage if you’re one of the lucky (or not so lucky) survivors of a layoff. From being more vulnerable to burnout to taking on more responsibilities, Kaila and Kyle discuss how to handle surviving a layoff both emotionally and professionally, as well as discuss how they navigated their own layoff survival stories. 00:00 Intro 03:06 Kaila and Kyle’s layoff survival story...

In this episode, Kaila and Kyle are joined by author, speaker, and ZipRecruiter career expert Sam DeMase (@apowermood) to share the best tips for landing a job in the age of AI. From understanding how recruiters think and operate, to structuring your resume for maximum impact, to mastering the “upper third,” this is one episode you don’t want to miss. 00:00 Intro 01:10 What is the life of a recruiter like? 06:28 How people are finding new jobs is changing 09:28 How to make yourself more appe...

In this episode, Kaila and Kyle discuss drug culture and how to navigate it when it interacts with your professional life. Should you talk about your weekend marijuana use with your colleagues? Is Zyn use at the office hurting your reputation? And how many drinks should you actually have at the company party? 00:00 Intro 01:23 Disclaimer 04:01 Accepted and normalized drugs 08:17 Navigating drinking culture in the workplace 15:11 Discussing marijuana at work 23:07 Zyn 29:13 Per YOUR Last E...

In this episode, Kaila and Kyle celebrate the 100th episode of Per My Last Email with a fun and informative variety show, followed by a surprise walk down memory lane at the end. 00:00 Intro 00:32 News You Can Use 07:55 A check-in with our Gen Z correspondents 15:00 Game: Slay or Nay? 18:41 Skillcation report 23:47 Per My Last Email gets a performance review Want to get all of Kaila & Kyle’s career resources? Subscribe to Per My Last Email: https://www.permylastemailshow.com/ Watch Per My...

In this episode, Kyle sits down with venture capitalist and author Bill Gurley to talk about how to figure out your passion, what people get wrong about networking, and why pursuing your dream career isn’t such an idealistic idea. 00:00 Intro 01:23 How do we recognize if we have a “passion”? 04:40 Do we spend enough time in a sampling period? 08:48 Something Bill advises young people to ask of older adults 09:14 How Bill responds to the pushback that people should aim for a stable, money-ma...

In this episode, Kaila and Kyle discuss their thoughts on the age-old question: is it ever okay to be emotional at work? Listen to hear their anecdotes of crying with colleagues, surface acting vs. deep acting, and why they think emotional intelligence is so crucial at this point in time. 00:00 Intro 04:26 The aim of this episode 07:27 Affective Events Theory 09:53 Primal Leadership by Daniel Goleman 14:15 Is going with your gut an example of being emotional? 17:33 The contagious effect of...

In this episode, Kaila and Kyle revisit the topic of AI (2 years after their first episode on the topic) and discuss the major objections to AI, how the perception of the technology has changed recently, and the best ways to use it to enhance your work. 00:00 Intro 01:27 How our perceptions of AI have changed in the past 2 years 03:56 The shifting public perception of AI - efficiency vs. enhancement 12:38 First objection to AI - environmental concerns 18:13 Second objection to AI - it’s wea...

In this episode, Kaila and Kyle share their predictions for work and work culture in 2026. From “job kissing” to the careers we think might be eliminated in 2026, you’re not going to want to miss this episode. 00:00 Intro 01:48 Prediction #1: Slight imperfections will be a sign of effort 06:06 Prediction #2: There will be a premium on being able to explain the business impact of your work 08:50 Prediction #3: “Job kissing” 13:06 Prediction #4: Your degree and your network will matter more t...

In this episode, Kaila and Kyle discuss uncertainty at the individual, external, and societal level, and share their best strategies for managing and coping with the anxiety that comes with it. 00:00 Intro 03:08 Addressing uncertainty on the individual level 08:57 Kyle’s bucketing approach for tackling uncertainty 15:23 Dealing with external, corporate-level uncertainty 22:28 Discussing uncertainty at the societal level Want to get all of Kaila & Kyle’s career resources? Subscribe to Per M...

In this special bonus episode, Kaila and Kyle sit down with Industrious president Anna Squires Levine to discuss the role that connection plays at work, the future of offices and hybrid vs. remote work, the role of leadership in the modern workplace, and advice on making career pivots. 00:00 Intro 01:16 University of Chicago Booth School of Business study on human connection 07:45 What most companies get wrong about how to design a great working environment 10:31 Advice for companies trying ...

In this episode, Kaila and Kyle get into personal finance—the money lessons they learned the hard way throughout their careers, and how they approach managing their savings, investments, and spending now. 00:00 Intro 02:36 A big wake-up call money moment in Kaila’s life 07:27 Kyle’s big wake-up call money moment 10:21 Kaila’s experience with lifestyle creep 13:56 An important salary negotiation in Kyle’s career 18:10 Learning to how to spend based on your values 21:40 Structuring your com...

In this episode, Kaila and Kyle share the productivity tips that help them accomplish their to-do list, and to get your 2026 off to a strong start. 00:00 Intro 02:20 Kaila’s and Kyle’s word of the year 04:30 Productivity tip #1: The Sunday Setup 09:29 Productivity tip #2: The Bullet Journal 13:06 Productivity tip #3: Commit to S*** 16:57 Productivity tip #4: Lean into the Eustress Curve 19:09 Productivity tip #5: Time Block the Bull**** 22:20 Productivity tip #6: Create Boundaries Around...

In this episode, Kaila and Kyle discuss why there is a fear of being “left behind” in the workplace in 2026, and what you can do to avoid that outcome. 00:00 Intro 02:08 Where the “left behind” framing is coming from 04:19 The “K-shaped” economy 09:02 Kyle’s hot take prediction on 2026 13:58 How to set yourself up for success in 2026 16:50 How Kaila and Kyle have started incorporating AI into their workflows 23:14 An example of how AI proved to be incredibly helpful in Kaila’s work 25:52...

In this episode, Kaila and Kyle break down their 5-step goal-setting framework that will help you get promoted in 2026. 00:00 Intro 02:17 Step 1 of goal-setting: Get clear on your company’s goals 07:21 Step 2 of goal-setting: Pick a word of the year 10:14 Step 3 of goal-setting: SMART goals 13:47 An important detail of setting SMART goals 17:08 Step 4 of goal-setting: Getting input 20:02 Step 5 of goal-setting: Create a check-in system 25:58 What if your goals are determined for you? Th...

This week, we’re bringing you a special (and very fun) variety show-style holiday episode. Listen to hear Kaila and Kyle quiz each other on 2025 news trivia, followed by a listener-submitted Am I the A******?, 2025 work rants, and finally our rose, bud, thorn of 2025. 00:00 Intro 01:31 2025 Workplace Trivia 18:26 Listener-submitted “Am I the A******?” Segment 24:12 Work rants 30:36 2025 Rose, Bud, and Thorn This episode was sponsored by Industrious. Try out Industrious for yourself with a ...

In this episode, Kaila and Kyle break down their simple and effective End of Year Reflection Framework, which will help you give the best end-of-year performance review possible. 00:00 Intro 01:55 Kaila and Kyle’s 2025 overall vibe check 04:52 Step one of the reflection framework 08:34 Step two of the reflection framework 16:01 Big takeaways from completing the first two steps of the 4-step reflection framework 19:35 Step three of the reflection framework 27:46 Step four of the reflection...

In this very special bonus episode of PMLE, Kaila and Kyle are joined by comedian, actor, and producer Joel Kim Booster to get his holiday hot takes. Listen to hear how Joel would organize his own office holiday party, the rule he thinks would make corporate America more fun, and his honest opinions in a round of Iconic of Moronic. 00:00 Intro 00:31 What Joel’s performance review would say if he held an office job today 02:02 The most unhinged party theme Joel would institute if he were in ch...