Permission to fearlessly work (and rest) as you are - Looks Like Work, Season 1, Ep 16

A photo of Madison T. Clark with the overlay text: Permission to fearlessly work (and rest) as you are. Madison T. Clark, Freelance writer, remote college applications coach. Looks Like Work by Chedva (Vivi) Ludmir Kleinhandler. Season 1 Episode 16

What does it really mean to work well—on your terms?

In this heartful, honest, and sneakily hilarious episode, I sit down with Madison Clark—freelance writer, educator, and Rooms & Words alum—to talk about the kind of work that actually works for us. We unpack the invisible labor that leads to burnout, the unspoken rules around rest, and the power of talking about money without shame or performance.

Madison shares her journey from globe-trotting teacher to creative freelancer, and we get real about what team culture looks like without an office, how to model financial literacy as parents, and why a single Slack message changed her weekends forever.

This one is for anyone who’s done being a "human giver" and is ready to become a whole, joyful human being.

What We Talk About:

  • The myth of productivity and redefining what "enough" looks like

  • Building team culture without a traditional workplace

  • Talking about money, debt, and income with transparency and self-compassion

  • Parenting and modeling values beyond “work hard, crash later”

  • Why retirement shouldn’t be the only time we get to rest

  • How to draw boundaries that actually protect your joy

  • Madison’s Permission Slips:

    • Permission to learn and talk about money—even if you weren’t taught how.

    • Permission to do things differently than how you were raised.

    • Key Takeaways:

      • Rest isn’t earned through output. It’s your birthright.

      • Money talk ≠ shame talk. Transparency is powerful.

      • Freelance ≠ solo. Culture is built through intention, not office walls.

      • Recognition matters. Invisible labor is still labor.

      • You can be the role model you needed growing up.

      • Boundaries aren’t selfish—they’re how you protect your energy and joy.

 

“You deserve rest just because you were born. That’s it.”

 

Listen to this episode on Spotify | Apple | Wherever you get your podcasts

Resources & Mentions:

  1. Visit Madison’s website

  2. Connect with Madison on LinkedIn

  3. Learn more about Rooms & Words

  4. Mentioned in the episode: Nicole Antoinette, Refinery29 Money Diaries

  5. Book recommendations from this season of LLW

  6. Catch up on previous seasons of Looks Like Work wherever you get your podcasts: Spotify | Apple | Podbean

  7. Subscribe to the newsletter: chedva.substack.com

  8. Check out The Curiosity Lab and CuriosityGPT

Previous
Previous

Young, Scrapy & Hungry - Looks Like Work, Season 1, Ep 23

Next
Next

Freeing Your Time & Reframing Productivity - Looks Like Work, Season 1, Ep 15