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Feb 11, 2021 · 37m · we-live-to-build

They Spent 8 Months Looking for a Reason to Fire Her — and Failed

Susan Blanchett · 25m spoken Sean Weisbrot · 9m spoken
0:00 / 0:00
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In this episode of We Live To Build, host Sean Weisbrot interviews Origen Air founder Susan Blanchett, who shares how enduring toxic workplace bullying and an unjust corporate dismissal propelled her to leave government law and build a thriving cleantech biotechnology enterprise.

How this conversation actually went

Every chapter scored 0–10 on four independent dynamics. Hover any point for the reasoning behind the score. Sean holds 26.8% of the talking time here. How this is scored →

Sean as informed peer 1.9 Guest teaching 1.8 Guest disagreement 0.6 Sean pushing back 0.5
05100:0010:0020:0030:002:19–5:06 · Sean as informed peer 1/10 Overview of Origen Air and Indoor Air Purification Sean opens the interview by inviting Susan to summarize her company and background. Susan provides an overview of Origen Air's genetically modified plant technology and her early entry into law school with high collaborative rapport.5:07–8:25 · Sean as informed peer 1/10 Venturing into Real Estate and Navigating Office Politics Sean prompts Susan to discuss how real estate intersected with her legal career. Susan details obtaining supervisor approval, managing dual roles, and abruptly resigning from real estate following an anonymous internal complaint.8:25–11:36 · Sean as informed peer 1/10 Facing Workplace Bullying and Termination Without Cause Susan recounts returning to the ministry full-time, the retirement of her supportive manager, months of intense scrutiny by a new supervisor, and ultimately being terminated without cause.11:36–14:31 · Sean as informed peer 2/10 Double Standards and Lack of Institutional Support Sean inquires whether competitive environments pose distinct challenges for female professionals. Susan illustrates the double standard by recounting how she was denied staffing on a major litigation file that was subsequently staffed with nine personnel upon her leave.14:31–16:33 · Sean as informed peer 1/10 Balancing Solo Parenting, Long Hours, and Entrepreneurship Sean asks how Susan balanced solo parenting three teenage sons alongside two demanding roles. Susan explains her lifelong drive, entrepreneurial stamina, and family teamwork.16:34–22:40 · Sean as informed peer 2/10 Breaking Free from the Golden Handcuffs Sean asks why Susan did not transition entirely to real estate. Susan explains the concept of golden handcuffs, superficial aspects of real estate, meeting her co-founder, and pivoting into clean tech.22:40–26:52 · Sean as informed peer 4/10 Legal Discrimination Realities and Empowering Female Founders Susan discusses her legal research discovering an absence of female-on-female workplace discrimination precedents aside from a controversial US dental assistant case. Sean actively pushes back against the premise of such a ruling, challenging how any court could uphold firing an employee to avoid temptation.26:52–31:48 · Sean as informed peer 3/10 Addressing Workplace Harassment and Cultivating Radical Kindness Sean references Michael Crichton's novel Disclosure to illustrate bidirectional harassment across genders. Susan responds by emphasizing radical kindness, empathy, and mutual support within the cleantech ecosystem.2:19–5:06 · Guest teaching 2/10 Overview of Origen Air and Indoor Air Purification Sean opens the interview by inviting Susan to summarize her company and background. Susan provides an overview of Origen Air's genetically modified plant technology and her early entry into law school with high collaborative rapport.5:07–8:25 · Guest teaching 1/10 Venturing into Real Estate and Navigating Office Politics Sean prompts Susan to discuss how real estate intersected with her legal career. Susan details obtaining supervisor approval, managing dual roles, and abruptly resigning from real estate following an anonymous internal complaint.8:25–11:36 · Guest teaching 1/10 Facing Workplace Bullying and Termination Without Cause Susan recounts returning to the ministry full-time, the retirement of her supportive manager, months of intense scrutiny by a new supervisor, and ultimately being terminated without cause.11:36–14:31 · Guest teaching 2/10 Double Standards and Lack of Institutional Support Sean inquires whether competitive environments pose distinct challenges for female professionals. Susan illustrates the double standard by recounting how she was denied staffing on a major litigation file that was subsequently staffed with nine personnel upon her leave.14:31–16:33 · Guest teaching 1/10 Balancing Solo Parenting, Long Hours, and Entrepreneurship Sean asks how Susan balanced solo parenting three teenage sons alongside two demanding roles. Susan explains her lifelong drive, entrepreneurial stamina, and family teamwork.16:34–22:40 · Guest teaching 2/10 Breaking Free from the Golden Handcuffs Sean asks why Susan did not transition entirely to real estate. Susan explains the concept of golden handcuffs, superficial aspects of real estate, meeting her co-founder, and pivoting into clean tech.22:40–26:52 · Guest teaching 3/10 Legal Discrimination Realities and Empowering Female Founders Susan discusses her legal research discovering an absence of female-on-female workplace discrimination precedents aside from a controversial US dental assistant case. Sean actively pushes back against the premise of such a ruling, challenging how any court could uphold firing an employee to avoid temptation.26:52–31:48 · Guest teaching 2/10 Addressing Workplace Harassment and Cultivating Radical Kindness Sean references Michael Crichton's novel Disclosure to illustrate bidirectional harassment across genders. Susan responds by emphasizing radical kindness, empathy, and mutual support within the cleantech ecosystem.2:19–5:06 · Guest disagreement 0/10 Overview of Origen Air and Indoor Air Purification Sean opens the interview by inviting Susan to summarize her company and background. Susan provides an overview of Origen Air's genetically modified plant technology and her early entry into law school with high collaborative rapport.5:07–8:25 · Guest disagreement 1/10 Venturing into Real Estate and Navigating Office Politics Sean prompts Susan to discuss how real estate intersected with her legal career. Susan details obtaining supervisor approval, managing dual roles, and abruptly resigning from real estate following an anonymous internal complaint.8:25–11:36 · Guest disagreement 1/10 Facing Workplace Bullying and Termination Without Cause Susan recounts returning to the ministry full-time, the retirement of her supportive manager, months of intense scrutiny by a new supervisor, and ultimately being terminated without cause.11:36–14:31 · Guest disagreement 1/10 Double Standards and Lack of Institutional Support Sean inquires whether competitive environments pose distinct challenges for female professionals. Susan illustrates the double standard by recounting how she was denied staffing on a major litigation file that was subsequently staffed with nine personnel upon her leave.14:31–16:33 · Guest disagreement 0/10 Balancing Solo Parenting, Long Hours, and Entrepreneurship Sean asks how Susan balanced solo parenting three teenage sons alongside two demanding roles. Susan explains her lifelong drive, entrepreneurial stamina, and family teamwork.16:34–22:40 · Guest disagreement 1/10 Breaking Free from the Golden Handcuffs Sean asks why Susan did not transition entirely to real estate. Susan explains the concept of golden handcuffs, superficial aspects of real estate, meeting her co-founder, and pivoting into clean tech.22:40–26:52 · Guest disagreement 1/10 Legal Discrimination Realities and Empowering Female Founders Susan discusses her legal research discovering an absence of female-on-female workplace discrimination precedents aside from a controversial US dental assistant case. Sean actively pushes back against the premise of such a ruling, challenging how any court could uphold firing an employee to avoid temptation.26:52–31:48 · Guest disagreement 0/10 Addressing Workplace Harassment and Cultivating Radical Kindness Sean references Michael Crichton's novel Disclosure to illustrate bidirectional harassment across genders. Susan responds by emphasizing radical kindness, empathy, and mutual support within the cleantech ecosystem.2:19–5:06 · Sean pushing back 0/10 Overview of Origen Air and Indoor Air Purification Sean opens the interview by inviting Susan to summarize her company and background. Susan provides an overview of Origen Air's genetically modified plant technology and her early entry into law school with high collaborative rapport.5:07–8:25 · Sean pushing back 0/10 Venturing into Real Estate and Navigating Office Politics Sean prompts Susan to discuss how real estate intersected with her legal career. Susan details obtaining supervisor approval, managing dual roles, and abruptly resigning from real estate following an anonymous internal complaint.8:25–11:36 · Sean pushing back 0/10 Facing Workplace Bullying and Termination Without Cause Susan recounts returning to the ministry full-time, the retirement of her supportive manager, months of intense scrutiny by a new supervisor, and ultimately being terminated without cause.11:36–14:31 · Sean pushing back 0/10 Double Standards and Lack of Institutional Support Sean inquires whether competitive environments pose distinct challenges for female professionals. Susan illustrates the double standard by recounting how she was denied staffing on a major litigation file that was subsequently staffed with nine personnel upon her leave.14:31–16:33 · Sean pushing back 0/10 Balancing Solo Parenting, Long Hours, and Entrepreneurship Sean asks how Susan balanced solo parenting three teenage sons alongside two demanding roles. Susan explains her lifelong drive, entrepreneurial stamina, and family teamwork.16:34–22:40 · Sean pushing back 0/10 Breaking Free from the Golden Handcuffs Sean asks why Susan did not transition entirely to real estate. Susan explains the concept of golden handcuffs, superficial aspects of real estate, meeting her co-founder, and pivoting into clean tech.22:40–26:52 · Sean pushing back 4/10 Legal Discrimination Realities and Empowering Female Founders Susan discusses her legal research discovering an absence of female-on-female workplace discrimination precedents aside from a controversial US dental assistant case. Sean actively pushes back against the premise of such a ruling, challenging how any court could uphold firing an employee to avoid temptation.26:52–31:48 · Sean pushing back 0/10 Addressing Workplace Harassment and Cultivating Radical Kindness Sean references Michael Crichton's novel Disclosure to illustrate bidirectional harassment across genders. Susan responds by emphasizing radical kindness, empathy, and mutual support within the cleantech ecosystem.

speaking balance: gold is Sean, purple is the guest (3 minute bins)

0:00 · Sean 96.3% · guest 3.7%0:00 · Sean 96.3% · guest 3.7%3:00 · Sean 16.1% · guest 83.9%3:00 · Sean 16.1% · guest 83.9%6:00 · Sean 5.1% · guest 94.9%6:00 · Sean 5.1% · guest 94.9%9:00 · Sean 12.6% · guest 87.4%9:00 · Sean 12.6% · guest 87.4%12:00 · Sean 8.5% · guest 91.5%12:00 · Sean 8.5% · guest 91.5%15:00 · Sean 6.9% · guest 93.1%15:00 · Sean 6.9% · guest 93.1%18:00 · Sean 8.7% · guest 91.3%18:00 · Sean 8.7% · guest 91.3%21:00 · Sean 37.4% · guest 62.6%21:00 · Sean 37.4% · guest 62.6%24:00 · Sean 20.9% · guest 79.1%24:00 · Sean 20.9% · guest 79.1%27:00 · Sean 83.4% · guest 16.6%27:00 · Sean 83.4% · guest 16.6%30:00 · Sean 1.4% · guest 98.6%30:00 · Sean 1.4% · guest 98.6%33:00 · Sean 14.2% · guest 85.8%33:00 · Sean 14.2% · guest 85.8%36:00 · Sean 47.3% · guest 52.7%36:00 · Sean 47.3% · guest 52.7%
Sharpest disagreement ▶ 10:20 Pushing back against hostile workplace scrutiny

Susan describes actively confronting the workplace hostility and audits by stepping up for leadership roles and demanding accountability despite intense peer and managerial pressure.

 Hardest push from Sean ▶ 24:58 Sean challenges ruling on workplace temptation

Sean vehemently rejects the premise of the US court ruling cited by Susan, arguing forcefully that firing an employee to maintain a temptation-free workplace contradicts basic constitutional equality protections.

 Biggest teaching moment ▶ 19:40 Susan educates on air purifying plant research

Susan corrects the common belief about regular indoor house plants cleaning air, citing University of Washington double-blind research on genetically modified plants.

 Sean holds their own ▶ 24:58 Sean articulates legal and constitutional counterarguments

Sean demonstrates legal fluency by pointing out statutory protections against gender-based discrimination to critique the judicial reasoning behind the cited dismissal case.
the scores for every segment, with the reasoning behind each
ChapterTopicSean as informed peerGuest teachingGuest disagreementSean pushing backWhy
Overview of Origen Air and Indoor Air Purification 1200 Sean opens the interview by inviting Susan to summarize her company and background. Susan provides an overview of Origen Air's genetically modified plant technology and her early entry into law school with high collaborative rapport.
Venturing into Real Estate and Navigating Office Politics 1110 Sean prompts Susan to discuss how real estate intersected with her legal career. Susan details obtaining supervisor approval, managing dual roles, and abruptly resigning from real estate following an anonymous internal complaint.
Facing Workplace Bullying and Termination Without Cause 1110 Susan recounts returning to the ministry full-time, the retirement of her supportive manager, months of intense scrutiny by a new supervisor, and ultimately being terminated without cause.
Double Standards and Lack of Institutional Support 2210 Sean inquires whether competitive environments pose distinct challenges for female professionals. Susan illustrates the double standard by recounting how she was denied staffing on a major litigation file that was subsequently staffed with nine personnel upon her leave.
Balancing Solo Parenting, Long Hours, and Entrepreneurship 1100 Sean asks how Susan balanced solo parenting three teenage sons alongside two demanding roles. Susan explains her lifelong drive, entrepreneurial stamina, and family teamwork.
Breaking Free from the Golden Handcuffs 2210 Sean asks why Susan did not transition entirely to real estate. Susan explains the concept of golden handcuffs, superficial aspects of real estate, meeting her co-founder, and pivoting into clean tech.
Legal Discrimination Realities and Empowering Female Founders 4314 Susan discusses her legal research discovering an absence of female-on-female workplace discrimination precedents aside from a controversial US dental assistant case. Sean actively pushes back against the premise of such a ruling, challenging how any court could uphold firing an employee to avoid temptation.
Addressing Workplace Harassment and Cultivating Radical Kindness 3200 Sean references Michael Crichton's novel Disclosure to illustrate bidirectional harassment across genders. Susan responds by emphasizing radical kindness, empathy, and mutual support within the cleantech ecosystem.

Statements from this episode (9)

Assertion Partly supported
Blanchett: Origen Air's purifier kills COVID in under four seconds
“This is part of an air purifier, which can actually kill COVID in under four seconds. And take out carcinogens from the air.”
Susan Blanchett Feb 11, 2021 ▶ 3:11
Disclosure
Blanchet abruptly quit her real estate career to preserve her legal standing
“So immediately to save my legal career, I quit my real estate career. So after two years of building a very great real estate practice, I walked away from it in a matter of days.”
Susan Blanchett Feb 11, 2021 ▶ 8:12
Assertion Not checkable as stated
Blanchet's employer spent eight months seeking cause before firing her
“They'd gone through it for hundreds of hours, my files, my hours, And could not find anything wrong. And it culminated in about nine months later, getting called into office and being let go without cause. So they tried for eight months to find cause to fire m…”
Susan Blanchett Feb 11, 2021 ▶ 11:11
Assertion Not checkable as stated
Blanchet's solo legal case was reassigned to nine staff after her leave
“When I came back 10 months later, there were four lawyers, three legal assistants, and two legal secretaries on the same file. The one I did by myself for two years.”
Susan Blanchett Feb 11, 2021 ▶ 13:41
Assertion Not checkable as stated
Blanchet: Only About 10% of Realtors Make Good Money
“There's maybe 10% that are making good money and the rest are struggling.”
Susan Blanchett Feb 11, 2021 ▶ 17:02
Assertion Supported
Blanchett: Regular indoor plants do not clean the air
“Plants actually don't clean the air. We think they do, but they don't.”
Susan Blanchett Feb 11, 2021 ▶ 20:02
Assertion Partly supported
Blanchett: UW genetically modified plants proven in published study to clean air
“He had found these genetically modified plants at the University of Washington that had been proven in a double blind study and published in environmental science and technology journal to clean air.”
Susan Blanchett Feb 11, 2021 ▶ 20:08
Assertion Not checkable as stated
Blanchet found no Canadian precedents for female-on-female workplace discrimination
“And the sad thing, I could not find one case and I looked for weeks and hours every day of a female on female discrimination in the legal, in the law world. There is not a case. Well, I found one actually. I found one not in Canada, in the United States, and t…”
Susan Blanchett Feb 11, 2021 ▶ 24:13
Insight
Blanchett: Good leaders should never have to fire employees
“Because the book said, like, good leaders should never have to fire someone. If you have to fire someone, you're the one who has done something wrong. Like, as a leader, it's my responsibility to make sure that my staff are performing, and if they aren't, I'm …”
Susan Blanchett Feb 11, 2021 ▶ 34:28
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