Globally Grounded: The Work-Life Reset

Episode 28: The Manager in the Middle - What the Data Says About the People Holding It All Together

In this episode, Kyra zooms in on one of the most striking — and most human — findings from Gallup's 2026 State of the Global Workplace Report: the global manager crisis. Manager engagement has dropped more steeply than any other group over the past three years, and the people most responsible for holding teams together are running on empty. Drawing from her own experience leading a manager and leadership program in tech, Kyra unpacks what the data is actually telling us about the seemingly impossible job managers have been handed, who is feeling it most, and why this looks different depending on where you are in the world. From Scandinavian servant leadership to Japan's Kaizen model to Germany's codetermination system, other cultures have built something different. And it's working. Kyra closes with concrete things organizations can do to actually support the people holding everything together. This is Part Two of a two-part series, so, if you haven't listened to Episode 27 yet, start there!
For full show notes, key takeaways, and research sources, visit claritywest.co. 
✨ Subscribe now so you don't miss an episode, and share with a friend who's ready for their own work-life reset. 🎙️ Hosted by Kyra Khanna👉 Follow me on social media for more insights: LinkedIn | Instagram

Episode 27: What the World Is Telling Us About Workplace Stress and Engagement

In this episode, Kyra digs into Gallup's 2026 State of the Global Workplace Report and what it reveals about stress, thriving, and the complicated relationship between the two. Being engaged at work and completely exhausted at the same time isn't a personal failing, but it is a global pattern. Kyra takes a look at the data, from the cultures with the richest lives outside of work, to the regions where loneliness is climbing, to the workforces under the most strain right now. She also shares three things countries should probably put on their national action plans, and three creative practices to try personally. This is Part One of a two-part series. Part Two drops next week, and it's all about the managers.
For full show notes, key takeaways, and research sources, visit claritywest.co. 
✨ Subscribe now so you don't miss an episode, and share with a friend who's ready for their own work-life reset. 🎙️ Hosted by Kyra Khanna👉 Follow me on social media for more insights: LinkedIn | Instagram

Episode 26: The Messy, Complicated Truth About Retirement

In this episode of Globally Grounded, Kyra asks: What does retirement actually mean? And is the version we inherited even working for anyone? She unpacks the messy, complicated truth about retirement through a global lens, from the Japanese man her family met running a knife shop on the fourth floor of a Tokyo apartment building in his 80s, to Gen Z chasing FIRE in their 20s, to the Spanish word for retirement that literally means joy. She gets into the language, the data, the cultural differences, and three practices to help you figure out what retirement looks like for you…even if you’re nowhere near it.
For full show notes, key takeaways, and research sources, visit claritywest.co. 
✨ Subscribe now so you don't miss an episode, and share with a friend who's ready for their own work-life reset. 🎙️ Hosted by Kyra Khanna👉 Follow me on social media for more insights: LinkedIn | Instagram

Episode 25: A Work-Life Q&A to Celebrate 25 Episodes!

Twenty-five episodes ago, Globally Grounded began as a mission to find the data, the global traditions, and the cultural shifts that could help us fix our sometimes broken relationship with work. But for this milestone, Kyra realized that to truly honor the mission of Clarity West and Globally Grounded, she had to look inward. In this transparent solo episode, Kyra plays both host and guest, conducting a personal audit through 25 questions. She moves past the usual coaching angle to share the real-life pivots that defined her career: from the high-stakes world of D.C. to the fast-paced tech scene of California. Through the lens of her own health battles, parenting wins and fails, and her fascination with Nordic well-being, Kyra defines what it actually looks like to prioritize the "life" side of the work-life equation.
For full show notes, key takeaways, and research sources, visit claritywest.co. 
✨ Subscribe now so you don't miss an episode, and share with a friend who's ready for their own work-life reset. 🎙️ Hosted by Kyra Khanna👉 Follow me on social media for more insights: LinkedIn | Instagram

Episode 24: Living on Full - Purpose, Longevity, and Building a Home in Tijuana

In this episode, Kyra takes listeners to a dusty home-build site in Tijuana, Mexico, during a transformative weekend where a mix of volunteers, including kids (her 14-year-old son included), his friends, others from his school, and parents, came together to build a home for a family. Purpose emerges not as an abstract concept but as a hands-on reality. She reflects on how staying in our own bubbles limits us, while stepping across borders and cultures reveals our deep connections and expands our sense of what's possible. The episode highlights the transformative power of cross-border togetherness, showing how it fosters compassion and meaning in unexpected ways. Kyra is especially struck by how engaged the kids were as they were pulled into experiences far beyond their everyday world, gaining perspective and appreciation that will likely last a lifetime. At its core, this episode ties purpose to longevity, suggesting that meaning in all its forms paired with consistent acts of showing up for others not only enriches life but may even extend it! It's a reminder that true connection often starts with one small step outside the familiar.
For more information on Cases de Luz, visit their website. 
For full show notes, key takeaways, and research sources, visit claritywest.co. 
✨ Subscribe now so you don't miss an episode, and share with a friend who's ready for their own work-life reset. 🎙️ Hosted by Kyra Khanna👉 Follow me on social media for more insights: LinkedIn | Instagram

Episode 23: Big Sur, Disconnection, and What Happens When You Actually Step Away

In this episode, Kyra reflects on a recent trip to Big Sur, CA and what it revealed about the uneasy balance between disconnection and peace. From unreliable service to the relief of being off the grid, she explores why stepping away from constant news, work, and family communication can feel so restorative and so unsettling at the same time. She also looks at how nature helps us reset, why re-entry is often the hardest part, and what other cultures can teach us about building a healthier relationship with rest and the outdoors.
For full show notes, key takeaways, and research sources, visit claritywest.co. ✨ Subscribe now so you don't miss an episode, and share with a friend who's ready for their own work-life reset. 🎙️ Hosted by Kyra Khanna👉 Follow me on social media for more insights: LinkedIn | Instagram

Episode 22: Does Success Exist Without an Audience?

When was the last time you had a win that no one else knew about, and it felt just as good?
In this episode, Kyra continues her exploration of the 2026 World Happiness Report, but through the lens of social media and the pressure to perform happiness, success, and authenticity online. She gets honest about her complicated relationship with LinkedIn. It's an extremely useful tool for job searches, visibility, learning + exploration, and networking, but it also triggers comparison, validation-seeking, and the need to package every win for public consumption. Kyra explores why self-promotion feels just a bit more natural in individualistic cultures but awkward in others, why LinkedIn and Instagram are closer than we think when it comes to feeling behind in work + life, and what the happiest countries might teach us about using social media differently. If you've ever felt drained by performing your life online, this episode offers three practical shifts to protect your unposted life and redefine success as contentment, not visibility.
For full show notes, key takeaways, and research sources, visit claritywest.co. 
✨ Subscribe now so you don't miss an episode, and share with a friend who's ready for their own work-life reset. 🎙️ Hosted by Kyra Khanna👉 Follow me on social media for more insights: LinkedIn | Instagram

Episode 21: The 2026 World Happiness Report & What Actually Makes Us Happy?

In this episode, Kyra revisits a topic she's explored before: the World Happiness Report. The 2026 edition just dropped, with Finland claiming the top spot again, followed by Iceland, Denmark, Costa Rica, and Sweden. This year's report focuses heavily on social media's impact on well-being (to be covered next episode!), but Kyra zooms in on a different angle: what "happiness" actually measures and what these countries have in common - e.g., systems that reduce chronic stress, protect rest, support nature and being outside, and build security and collaboration into daily life. Drawing on her experiences living across Europe and Central America, Kyra reflects on what we can realistically apply to our own lives and why systemic change matters more than individual hustle.
For full show notes, key takeaways, and research sources, visit claritywest.co. ✨ Subscribe now so you don't miss an episode, and share with a friend who's ready for their own work-life reset. 🎙️ Hosted by Kyra Khanna👉 Follow me on social media for more insights: LinkedIn | Instagram

Episode 20: Is This Still My Company? Navigating a Values Shift at Work

In this episode, Kyra gets into what happens when the values you signed up for at work subtly or not so subtly shift under your feet, especially in fast-moving industries like tech. She unpacks how company values are really formed (beyond the hallway posters), why they evolve or drift over time, how to spot early signs of misalignment, and a practical framework for deciding whether to stay, try to influence from within, or plan your exit. All of which are viable options! Along the way, she shares her own experience of feeling the gap between the values on paper and the lived culture, and offers concrete questions and reflection prompts for both job seekers and people staying put for now.
For full show notes, key takeaways, and research sources, visit claritywest.co. ✨ Subscribe now so you don't miss an episode, and share with a friend who's ready for their own work-life reset. 🎙️ Hosted by Kyra Khanna👉 Follow me on social media for more insights: LinkedIn | Instagram

Episode 19: What Would You Tell Your 18-Year-Old Self?

In this episode, Kyra reflects on what she'd tell her 18-year-old self about work…the one who went into college pre-med, convinced she'd be a neuroscientist, with her whole career mapped out. Fun fact, that's not what happened. From pre-med to international affairs to consulting to tech to entrepreneurship, Kyra's career has been anything but linear. She explores why we feel so much pressure to have it all figured out early, why pivoting feels like failure (when it's actually growth), and why caring about more than one thing isn't a flaw, but rather where the real through-line often lives. If you've ever worried that your winding path means you're doing it wrong, this one's for you, whether you’re 18 or 50. 
For full show notes, key takeaways, and research sources, visit claritywest.co. ✨ Subscribe now so you don't miss an episode, and share with a friend who's ready for their own work-life reset. 🎙️ Hosted by Kyra Khanna👉 Follow me on social media for more insights: LinkedIn | Instagram