FAQs

The Podcast

What is The Messy Middle Matters podcast about?

The Messy Middle Matters is a podcast that highlights the often invisible work that keeps teams, projects, and organizations moving forward. We explore topics like glue work, emotional labor, cross-functional collaboration, leadership in complex environments, and what it really takes to get things done inside modern workplaces.

Who hosts the podcast?

The show is hosted by Indra Klavins — organizational strategist, keynote speaker, and certified mediator with almost twenty years of experience helping leaders navigate restructuring, rapid growth, and forced team integrations. Indra's work centers on making invisible work visible, elevating the people who hold everything together, and helping individuals and organizations navigate the messy middle of work and change.

Who is the podcast for?

This podcast is for operators, leaders, managers, program and project people, creatives, ICs, and anyone who finds themselves smoothing friction, connecting dots, or carrying the emotional and operational load at work. If you've ever been "the glue," this is for you.

Where can I listen to the podcast?

You can listen on all major platforms: Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, Amazon Music, iHeart, PocketCasts, Podbean, Overcast, Podchaser, Player FM, Listen Notes, Castro, Castbox, Podfriend, Goodpods, Boomplay, and Podcast Index.

What kinds of guests do you feature?

Guests include leaders, operators, designers, engineers, founders, coaches, and people who sit in or near the messy middle every day. We feature people who are honest about what it takes to lead through complexity, navigate change, collaborate across teams, and hold space for others.

How long is each episode?

Most episodes are around 25–35 minutes, with occasional longer conversations for deeper topics.

How often do new episodes come out?

The podcast is currently on a brief break and will return later this year. Follow on your favorite platform or subscribe to the newsletter to be the first to know when new episodes drop.

Can I be a guest on the podcast?

Yes! We welcome guests who have meaningful stories or insights about navigating complexity, managing change, collaborating across functions, or doing overlooked but essential work. You can learn more and apply via our Guest One-Pager.

Why is it called "The Messy Middle"?

The "messy middle" is the space between strategy and outcomes — the place where real work happens. It's where ambiguity, imperfect systems, and complex relationships meet the need to deliver results. This is also where people spend most of their work lives, yet it rarely gets the attention it deserves.

What is glue work?

Glue work refers to the essential — but often invisible — tasks that keep teams and projects functioning. Things like connecting people, smoothing communication, anticipating risks, coordinating work, and preventing fires before they start. Many people do glue work without recognition, and the podcast aims to name and celebrate it.

How did the podcast start?

The podcast began as a way to illuminate the unspoken realities of modern work. After years of coaching and operational leadership, Indra saw a gap in conversations about work: people were struggling in the messy middle without language, support, or acknowledgment. The show was created to fill that gap.

Do you offer sponsorship opportunities?

Yes. We partner with aligned organizations, tools, and services that support the people who keep work moving. If you're interested in sponsoring or collaborating, reach out at podcast@themessymiddlematters.com.

Is there merch for the podcast?

Absolutely. Our merch celebrates the people who do the work no one talks about — including our best-selling phrases like "Don't make me regret trying to be helpful" and "I Get Stuff Done." Visit MessyMiddleMerch.com.

How can I give feedback or suggest a topic?

We welcome listener feedback and topic suggestions. You can share your ideas through our Feedback Form linked on the website.

How can I follow the podcast?

You can subscribe on your favorite podcast platform or follow us on LinkedIn, Instagram, and Threads for episode updates, behind-the-scenes content, and insights from the messy middle of work.

Public Speaking

What does Indra speak about?

Indra's keynote, Nobody Asked Us, is about the hidden costs of organizational restructuring — the dynamics that don't show up on dashboards but determine whether teams actually function after a merger, reorg, or forced integration. It gives leaders the language to see what's happening beneath the surface early enough to do something about it.

Who is this talk for?

Nobody Asked Us is built for corporate leadership teams, HR and People Ops leaders, and anyone navigating the human side of organizational change. If your organization is restructuring, integrating, or scaling — and you want your leaders to stop misreading the signals and start intervening before the damage compounds — this is the talk for the room.

How do I book Indra to speak?

The best first step is a conversation. Reach out via the speaking page at peopleprocessthings.com/public-speaking or drop a note to hello@peopleprocessthings.com and we'll go from there.

People |Process | Things

What is People Process Things?

People Process Things is Indra's consultancy — the hands-on expression of everything The Messy Middle Matters stands for. Where the podcast names the invisible dynamics of organizational life, PPT gets in the trenches with you to navigate them. Think of it as the messy middle spirit, put to work.

What kind of work does People Process Things do?

PPT offers fractional operations leadership, team coaching through transitions, facilitation, and conflict mediation — primarily for organizations navigating restructuring, rapid growth, or the kind of complexity that doesn't fit neatly into a consulting framework. The work is grounded in how things actually get done, not how they're supposed to get done.

How is PPT different from traditional consulting?

PPT doesn't arrive with a pre-baked framework and a slide deck. The work is embedded, honest, and built around what's actually happening inside your organization — not a version of it that's been sanitized for a deliverable. Learn more at peopleprocessthings.com.