We Were SPENT. That's Why the E Word Had to Change.

Here's something I haven't yet shared with you: For over a year, I've been co-hosting a podcast called The E Word with the brilliant Brittany S. Hale. And we just made a change that surprised even us.

If you are a true builder or creator, there comes a moment when you realize that what you built needs to become something more. If you strive for excellence (and sometimes perfection), those moments are not few and far between. In fact, iteration becomes your love language.

We can debate the pros and cons of that, but that moment came for us after Season 2 of The E Word. Us = me and my fabulous podcast co-host, Brittany S. Hale.

Our first episode dropped on April 18, 2024, and since then, we have produced 30 videos over two seasons, during which we talked about the systems that shaped access and opportunity through the lens of equity. And that is what The E Word stood for – equity. And while that lens still matters deeply, something bigger was calling.

When we first started, we didn't overthink it too much. Brittany and I have natural chemistry, which we discovered back in 2023 when we hosted a couple of very popular LinkedIn Lives together. We discovered that we shared similar values and, best of all, had the best conversations, and not just about surface-level topics like food, music, or The Real Housewives, although these things are extremely important to us. But also about our place in this world and the intentionality with which we and others need to live it.

So we paused and did what we did best: we talked about it. What emerged was a philosophical discussion about our end goal. And what we landed on may surprise you, as it did us.

E is for Eudaimonia

E is for Eudaimonia (you-day-moan-ee-uh), a Greek word that means human flourishing. Not just happiness or success, but living fully, wisely, and with purpose.

This shift helped us see equity in a new light. We want all people to experience joy in their own lives, according to the definition that works for them. Equity is a critical tool used to achieve that outcome, but not the only one. So we decided to center the outcome instead and asked ourselves:

How do we keep having the kind of conversations that stretch people and focus them on human flourishing without it sounding like a self-help book?

No shade to self-help books!

The answer was to create a framework, and our friend Aristotle gave us the blueprint that could hold several concepts at once: rigor and intuition, equity and artistry, and systems and soul!

That's how the SPENT framework was born.

The SPENT Framework

Inspired by Aristotle's five intellectual virtues, SPENT is the backbone of Season 3 and the soul of our shift towards eudaimonia.

Correction – it's not inspired by; it's fully drawn from Aristotle himself and applied to our worldview using an acronym I came up with while playing around with the letters into something I could easily remember. Rocket scientists should be very afraid, but here is the SPENT framework using The E Word evolution as an example. 

• S – Sophia (Philosophic Wisdom) Understand why it matters. The heart of this shift was purpose. What are we really here to explore? What's at stake if we don't? The outcome is where we need to start.
• P – Phronesis (Practical Wisdom) Use good judgment. We didn't evolve the show for the sake of change. We asked: What do people actually need now? What kind of leadership does this moment demand?
• E – Episteme (Scientific Knowledge) Know the facts. We grounded the shift in the real study of ancient texts, modern behavior, and human patterns. Not just intuition, but evidence.
• N – Nous (Intuitive Understanding) Trust your intuition. This move didn't feel "safe," but it feels right. We know we were stepping into something deeper, more uncomfortable, but it's where we need to be. We are also both Cancer Zodiac signs so our intuition is usually on point.
• T – Techne (Artistry) Make it real. This is the sound of the podcast. It's the way we build space for silence, insight, and truth-telling and how we share our craft.

Why do I love this approach? Let's use it in a sentence: A well-spent life connects the past, the present, and the part you play in what's still to come. (Pun on “spent” is absolutely intended.)

So what should you expect? The E Word provides a thorough evaluation of culture, leadership, power, and identity by examining how the systems that shape them influence the way we live, work, and lead. That's the point we are going to make.

It’s Going to Be Better Than Before

While E stands for many things under the Eudaimonia umbrella, such as experimentation, because life—like this podcast—is a series of experiments, this evolution wasn't just a creative choice. It was a personal one. It came from being spent, and it led us to something that could only be described as taking an active role in becoming Better on Purpose. 

So watch or listen to our introduction, which was recorded before the acronym was fully developed, and answer me this:  In your own work, what would it look like to center human flourishing rather than just fixing what's broken? And which part of the SPENT framework feels most relevant to where you are right now?

The E Word is available on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music, iHeart Radio, YouTube, and wherever you get your podcasts. New episodes drop almost weekly, because, you know, we still have day jobs! Here's a snippet.

P.S. Fun challenge: How many words that start with E and mention “The E Word” are in this article? First 5 people to guess correctly get a virtual coffee with me—I'm buying!