319: Authenticity at Work: Building Resilient Teams with the REAL Model with Nathan Andres

In this episode of Workday Playdate, Erin sits down with well-being activist, global people leader, and resilience champion Nathan Andres. Together, they explore what it really takes to live and lead with authenticity. Known as “Nate the Great,” Nathan shares his personal journey toward purpose, presence, and proactive well-being. He introduces his powerful REAL Model for building resilience: Reality, Energy, Authenticity, and Love. Together, Erin and Nathan unpack why self-care is a leadership skill, how self-compassion fuels high performance, and why self-advocacy is the backbone of sustainable success—both at work and in life. This conversation blends mindset, mental health, and modern leadership into a practical roadmap for anyone ready to strengthen resilience without losing themselves in the process. Whether you’re navigating a career pivot, recovering from adversity, or simply craving a more grounded way to show up each day, this episode gives you the tools, permission, and practices to return to your most authentic self and stay there. Inside This Episode: Authenticity Is Your Advantage: Why showing up as your whole, true self creates deeper trust, stronger teams, and more sustainable well-being. Resilience Starts With Reality: How naming your truth—and seeing situations clearly—becomes the first step to taking back control. Energy, Not Exhaustion: How to redirect your emotional, mental, and physical energy toward what fuels you, not drains you. Self-Care, Self-Compassion, Self-Advocacy: Why these three practices are essential to resilience, confidence, and performance. Love Is a Leadership Skill: How love—for yourself, for others, and for the work—creates cultures where people can actually thrive. Mental Health as a Competitive Advantage: Why workplaces that prioritize psychological safety and well-being win in innovation, retention, and trust. Who This Episode Is For: Leaders who want to build cultures grounded in authenticity, empathy, and psychological safety. Professionals seeking practical tools for resilience, mental health, and personal well-being. Anyone craving a clear, compassionate framework for navigating life’s roller coasters without losing themselves. You’ve tried the Slack hacks, rewriting the meeting agendas, and promised yourself you’d protect your team’s time. But somehow hybrid work still feels like an endless game of communication ping-pong. More messages, more overwhelm. Enter The Remote Leader’s Reset: your 5-step guide to lowering the noise, resetting expectations, and helping your team finally exhale. These simple, human-centered resets will help you reduce friction, create clarity, and make your people feel seen—no matter where they’re working from. Download it here. No, You Hang Up First (Let’s Keep Connecting) Did today’s episode resonate with you? Leave us a review sharing your favorite insight and we’ll send you a free signed copy of I See You! A Leader’s Guide to Energizing Your Team through Radical Empathy. Have another question that we can answer? Leave us a Speakpipe audio clip and we’ll answer it in an upcoming episode. Don’t want to miss another episode? If you’re a Spotify listener, find our show here and click “Follow.” If you’re an Apple Podcast listener, click here and make sure to hit “+Follow.” Want access to a bunch of free resources for your work life? This is your personal jackpot that gives you access to the frameworks that help us thrive both personally and professionally. Whether you’re trying to improve your daily routine, flesh out an idea that you’ve had for quite some time, or want to add more play into your day - these resources have got your back. Want 2 emails a week from us? One with a quick tip you can implement right away to enhance your personal and/or professional lives & one of our famous F.A.I.L. Fourward Friday newsletters? Subscribe here . Connect with Nathan Andres Nathan’s LinkedIn Nathan’s website Nathan’s book: Your Real Life: Get Authentic, Be Resilient, and Make it Count Connect with Erin Diehl x improve it! Erin’s website Erin’s Instagram Erin’s TikTok Erin’s LinkedIn improve it!’s website improve it!’s Instagram See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info .