Episode 194: The Secret to Building a Workplace Where People Say “Thank God It’s Monday” with Missy Forlani & Melisa Soydinc, M.S.

Guest Bio

Missy Forlani 

Missy Forlani is a people-first executive coach and leadership advisor serving as Vice
President of Coaching & Team Solutions at Teamalytics. In this role, she partners with
executives, senior leaders, and leadership teams across industries to strengthen leadership
effectiveness, accelerate team performance, and align talent strategy with business
outcomes. Known for her ability to grow high performers and maximize diverse teams, Missy
helps leaders lead with clarity, courage, and impact.

Missy is also the Founder of Live TGIM, a leadership movement, mindset, and mission
dedicated to helping people and organizations rediscover joy, purpose, and possibility in their
work. Inspired by her forthcoming book TGIM: Thank God It’s Monday. Love Your Work. Love
Your Life. Love Your Mondays., Live TGIM is both a philosophy and a call to action—
challenging leaders to rethink the way they experience work and lead others.

As an author, keynote speaker, leadership facilitator, and executive coach, Missy invites
leaders to reimagine what’s possible when purpose, performance, and people are fully
aligned. Through her work, she helps leaders close the knowing–doing gap, transform
burnout into balance, and build cultures rooted in trust, gratitude, and growth. At the heart
of Live TGIM is a simple belief: when people love what they do, companies flourish.

Missy holds a Master’s Degree in Educational Leadership and a Human Resources
Management Certification. She is a certified executive coach and certified trainer for Crucial
Learning: Crucial Conversations and Crucial Accountability.

Known for her authenticity, contagious energy, and TGIM: Thank God It’s Monday philosophy,
Missy empowers leaders to love their work, live their purpose, and lead with courage –
creating workplaces, and lives, worth saying TGIM about.

Melisa Soydinc, M.S.

Melisa Soydinc, M.S., is an HR professional, organizational strategist, and people-centered leader dedicated to helping individuals and teams find purpose, connection, and joy in their work. With experience across education, technology, and executive operations, she has supported leaders at every level, strengthening culture, elevating engagement, and building systems that help people thrive. 

Melisa has held roles as an Executive Business Partner and HR Strategic Initiatives Partner, where sheadvanced DEI initiatives, shaped leadership processes, enhanced employee experience, and supported organizational transformation. She holds a Master’s degree in Industrial-Organizational Psychology with a specialization in Organizational Consulting,giving her a research-driven foundation for understanding workplace behavior and cultural dynamics. 

Known for her empathy, insight, and people-first philosophy, Melisa brings a thoughtful and relatable perspective to Live TGIM, reminding readers that purpose, connection, and culture are at the heart of loving your work and redefining what Mondays can be.

Key Takeaways

00:00 Welcome to The Future of Teamwork Podcast

00:32 Meet The Authors – Missy Forlani & Melisa Soydinc, M.S. 

01:27 Why TGIM Exists

04:03 TGIM As Culture Roadmap

07:56 A Teams Framework

10:44 Leadership in Rapid Change

14:19 Small Shifts Ripple

18:48 Cross Team Bridges

22:13 Real Time Listening

23:51 AI Burnout and Whats Next

27:15 Love Work Life Mondays

31:47 Mattering In The AI Era

32:36 TGIM As The New PMF

33:23 You Are Not Stuck

34:20 Closing The Knowing Doing Gap

35:54 Persona The Frozen Employee

36:31 Hedgehog and Networking Plan

39:10 Happiness and Hygiene Audit

40:25 Recovering Workaholic Balance

43:49 Legacy Beyond Work Identity

46:18 Wrap Up and Where To Find TGIM

48:17 Disclaimer and Final Notes