Liz Fosslien is an American author, illustrator, and expert in workplace culture and emotions. She is the co-author of the books No Hard Feelings: The Secret Power of Embracing Emotions at Work and Big Feelings: How to Be Okay When Things Are Not Okay, both of which explore the intersection of emotions and professional life.[1][2][3][4][5]
Early life and education
editLiz Fosslien studied mathematical economics at Pomona College.[6]
Career
editAfter college, she worked as an analyst at an economic consulting firm, a job that she initially believed would be her dream career.[6] However, the experience led to severe anxiety and burnout, ultimately prompting her to leave the role.[6] This experience significantly influenced her later work on emotions in the workplace.[7]
Fosslien began her career in the tech industry, where she served as the chief of staff at Parliament,[8] and at Genius, focusing on rebranding and diversity inclusion efforts.[8] However, her passion for illustrating and exploring the emotional dynamics of the workplace led her to co-author two books with Mollie West Duffy.[6][9]
In 2019, Fosslien co-authored No Hard Feelings: The Secret Power of Embracing Emotions at Work with Mollie West Duffy.[6][10][11][12] The book challenges the traditional notion that emotions should be kept out of the workplace and argues that acknowledging and managing emotions can lead to more effective and meaningful work experiences.[6][13] [14] The book resonated with millennial professionals, who often struggle with the rigid separation between "work life" and "personal life."[6][15]
In 2022, Fosslien and Duffy released their second book, Big Feelings: How to Be Okay When Things Are Not Okay.[7] This work dives into seven challenging emotions—uncertainty, comparison, anger, burnout, perfectionism, despair, and regret—offering personal insights and strategies for coping with them.[7][16] The book was inspired by their own experiences with burnout, chronic pain, and the loss of loved ones, and it emphasizes the importance of sharing and acknowledging difficult emotions.[7][15]
Illustrations and public influence
editFosslien is also known for her illustrations that depict various aspects of emotional life, both at work and beyond.[8][17][18] These illustrations have gained traction on platforms like LinkedIn, where they are often shared and discussed by professionals seeking to better understand and manage their emotions.[15][19] Her work has been praised for making complex emotional concepts accessible and relatable through simple yet powerful visuals.[15][8]
Personal life
editLiz Fosslien resides in the San Francisco Bay Area, where she balances her professional life with personal projects, including her work as an illustrator.[8] She is an advocate for bringing one's full self to work and believes in the power of vulnerability and emotional expression in the workplace.[6][19]
Bibliography
editReferences
edit- ^ "Comparing yourself to others is a sure route to misery — 5 ways to turn it into action instead". ideas.ted.com. 2022-06-09. Retrieved 2024-08-23.
- ^ Kim, Eugene. "15 cartoons that explain how Silicon Valley sees the world today". Business Insider. Retrieved 2024-08-23.
- ^ Payton, L'Oreal Thompson. "Preventing burnout is now the number one job for bosses. These 7 strategies can protect your teams". Fortune Well. Retrieved 2024-08-23.
- ^ "45 Work And Life Struggles Illustrated In Comic-Charts By Liz And Mollie". Bored Panda. 2021-03-05. Retrieved 2024-08-23.
- ^ Homayun, Omaid. "Navigating Feelings At Home And Work". Forbes. Retrieved 2024-08-23.
- ^ a b c d e f g h Fosslien, Liz; West Duffy, Mollie. "These Two Millennial Authors Want You To Acknowledge Your Feelings At Work". Forbes (Interview). Interviewed by Rimma Boshernitsan. Retrieved 2024-08-13.
- ^ a b c d Fosslien, Liz; West Duffy, Mollie (April 26, 2022). "The power in owning your 'Big Feelings". NPR (Interview). Interviewed by Juana Summers.
- ^ a b c d e Fosslien, Liz. "15 questions with Liz Fosslien". CNNMoney (Interview). Retrieved 2024-08-13.
- ^ West Duffy, Mollie (2019-06-12). "Seattle native helps people be happier at work | Produced by Seattle Times Marketing". The Seattle Times (Interview). Interviewed by Michelle Archer. Retrieved 2024-08-23.
- ^ "5 books to help you finally achieve work life balance". Fast Company.
- ^ "Selective vulnerability: How to share your feelings at work". www.hcamag.com. Retrieved 2024-08-23.
- ^ "7 Tips on How Introverts and Extroverts Can Both Flourish At Work - Brit + Co". www.brit.co. 2019-04-20. Retrieved 2024-08-23.
- ^ Heaney, Katie (2019-04-01). "Does Your Office Suffer From Conference Room Aggression?". The Cut. Retrieved 2024-08-23.
- ^ "How to recognize if you're overreacting". Fast Company.
- ^ a b c d Fosslien, Liz; West Duffy, Mollie (2023-11-13). "So Many Feelings. Too Many?". Harvard Business Review (Interview). Interviewed by Amy Gallo, Amy Bernstein. Retrieved 2024-08-13.
- ^ "Big Feelings Day with Liz and Mollie | All Of It". WNYC. Retrieved 2024-08-23.
- ^ Rebolini, Arianna (2019-01-31). "These Comics About Work Anxieties Are Painfully Real". BuzzFeed News. Retrieved 2024-08-23.
- ^ Kim, Eugene. "17 cartoons that perfectly describe life in Silicon Valley". Business Insider. Retrieved 2024-08-23.
- ^ a b c Gutterman, Annabel (2019-01-03). "Why You Shouldn't Hide Your Emotions at Work". TIME. Retrieved 2024-08-13.
- ^ Fosslien, Liz; Duffy, Mollie West (2019-02-05). No Hard Feelings: The Secret Power of Embracing Emotions at Work. Penguin. ISBN 978-0-525-53384-9.
- ^ Fosslien, Liz; West Duffy, Mollie (June 6, 2022). "In 'Big Feelings:' Advice on how to be okay... when things are not okay". NPR (Interview). Interviewed by Juana Summers.
- ^ Fosslien, Liz; Duffy, Mollie West (2022-07-07). Big Feelings: How to Be Okay When Things Are Not Okay. Canongate Books. ISBN 978-1-83885-852-0.