PM Happy Hour is the place for frank and honest discussion about real world issues in project management. We do it in a way that's not too dry, though it may get a bit salty from time to time.
Each episode, your hosts Kim Essendrup and Kate Anderson cover a problem faced in project management today, and share practical advice, real-life examples and the occasional project horror story.
Not only that, but every podcast is also an online class! Our host is a PMI Registered Education Provider, who has structured each podcast as an easy-to-listen-to lesson. To get credit, go to our web site at PMHappyHour.com, purchase your class, take the test (based on the content from our podcast) and you get your PDU certificate instantly!
Latest episodes
Showing 20 · updated from the feed
134: How to Land a $300k PM Role in 2026 with Mukhtar Kadiri
#37 trending · Careers
What if the reason your project management job search is stalling has nothing to do with your skills? On average, about 300 people apply to a single opening, and the odds
Oct 13 50 min
133: The Introvert's guide to Communication for Project Managers
Why "over-communicating" isn't about saying more — it's about knowing exactly what your stakeholders need to hear, and when.
What happens when a project manager goes si
Sep 15 33 min
132: Why Your Most Supportive Stakeholder is Ruining your Project, with Dawn Mahan
Projects rarely fail from a lack of templates — they fail because of people. Author Dawn Mahan reveals the animal avatars that help you spot the cheerleader, the finicky
Aug 25 51 min
131: Don't be the PM everyone hates, with Rachel Losser
Your worst project management habit might also be your superpower — the trick is knowing which one you're wielding, and when.
What actually separates a great project ma
Aug 12 50 min
130: Rigged bids, fake deadlines, and going 181x over budget
A $6.9 million estimate. A $1.25 billion catastrophe. How fake deadlines, a rigged bid, and a steering committee allergic to bad news turned a routine payroll migration i
Jul 29 38 min
129: How Credibility Starts with Curiosity, with Noel Nicole Ransom
Why do perfectly logical, well-researched project plans still fail to win people over? It's one of the most frustrating forms of project failure—not a broken schedule or
Jul 14 35 min
128: Your project can't possibly be as bad as working for Mr Beast, Part 2
Ever worked on a project that felt like a complete disaster... only for leadership to call it a huge success?
In Part 2 of our Mr. Beast series, Kim and Kate dig into t
Jun 30 33 min
127: Your project can't possibly be as bad as working for Mr Beast, Part 1
Ever worked with a stakeholder who changes direction faster than your project plan can keep up? Then this episode may feel a little too familiar.
Kim and Kate dive into
Jun 16 28 min
126: "What's your AI Strategy?" Handling the Executive who wants AI in everything
You know the moment.
Your project plan is solid. The scope is defined. The team is ready. Then an executive walks by and casually asks:
"Can we just make this AI?"
Jun 3 39 min
125: How to survive the AI landscape as a PM with PMI's Dr Kelly Heuer
AI is changing work fast enough to give every project manager emotional whiplash. New tools, new workflows, new expectations… and somehow you're still expected to hit dea
May 20 58 min
124: Drowning in Tasks: How Successful PMs Organize the Chaos
If your to-do list is 47 items long, your Slack won't shut up, and you ended the day thinking, "Cool… but what did I actually accomplish?"—welcome. You're among friends.
If your weekly calendar looks like the loser in a state fair quilt competition - just solid blocks of mismatched colors with no room to breathe - this episode is for you.
Apr 14 1 h 00 min
122 - Kate puts Kim through the worst meeting hells our listeners could dream up: a PM HappyHour role play
Boss fights and boardrooms. Kate puts Kim through meeting hell in this tabletop roleplay episode.
Kate: "Help me torture Kim."
That was the prompt.
What followed wa
Apr 3 1 h 14 min
121 - Top Shelf Replay: Embracing the Escalation
Escalation: it's a word that can make even experienced project managers tense. But what if you approached it as a tool rather than a threat? In this Top Shelf Replay of P
Mar 24 45 min
120 - How smart teams talk themselves into Failure, with Dr. Bill Brantley
Why do smart teams still deliver failed projects?
Most project failures don't begin with a catastrophic mistake. Instead, they begin with small deviations—minor comprom
Mar 10 52 min
119 - TSR: They told me I'm 'too nice'??
Have you ever gotten feedback that made you want to flip a table because it was both insulting and totally useless?
In this Top Shelf Replay, we revisit "They Told Me I
Feb 24 1 h 02 min
118 - PM Turf Wars: Sharing your projects with other Project Managers
"Three PMs walk into a bar: a business PM, an IT PM, and a Vendor PM…" Sounds like a bad joke, but if you don't get it right - the joke will be your project.
Very often
Feb 10 23 min
117 - Top Shelf Replay: Say No by Saying Yes
Project managers are constantly told they need to "learn how to say no."
But in the real world—especially when the ask comes from a sponsor, executive, or important cust
Jan 30 44 min
116 - How to quit your job and completely fail as a PM contractor
Thinking about going contractor? Kate and Kim share how they each left corporate and made the leap—two very different stories (burnout vs acting early) with the same core
Jan 15 40 min
115 - Top Shelf Replay: Trust Bricks
As project managers, we spend a lot of time talking about tools, processes, and delivery frameworks—but far less time talking about the invisible structure that holds pro
Dec 16 2025 39 min
Chart trend
Position in the Careers chart (US), last 90 days.
#1#82#162JulAugSepOct
#24
all-time peak
36
days in the top 50 since Nov 2024
Chart positions
Where Project Management Happy Hour ranks today in each Apple Podcasts chart (US, Oct 14, 2026).
A curated, balanced selection of Apple Podcasts reviews.
Such a fun and thoughtful conversation!
Thank you for welcoming me to your show and creating space for a practical, honest discussion about the people side of projects. I loved talking about both Projectland books in the same discussion, the characters we meet on every project, and especially those saboteurs who can stay hidden until they suddenly create trouble.
Your curiosity, humor, and genuine commitment to the project management community made the conversation feel easy and meaningful. It really is about the people, people! Five stars and a big thank you for all you do for PMs everywhere.
Dawn305 · Jul 2026
This podcast deserves more recognition. Kate and Kim effortlessly combine PM topics with their quirky personalities to make show that’s both entertaining and educative. My favorite thing is that PM theory is not shoved on a plate and served to us, they take the time to present ideas, friendly banter down each path and leads listeners with real world experiences, and then at the end, the listener feels like they fully digested the material and also made a buddy at the bar🍻One thing I can see why this podcast is kept a hidden gem is the low frequency of episodes that are released.
This definitely is not your average PM Podcast, definitely give it a shot if you’re looking for a PM show that can help you navigate the issues in projects where a textbook can’t really teach you.
The Smallest PM · Apr 2026
I’ve been a PM for 8 years and found this podcast at a time when I was about to step into a much bigger role with a much bigger company, a much bigger paycheck and of course MUCH more visibility and responsibility. I was nervous and looking for anything to help me prep for what was to come and Kim and Kate became my mentors by proxy at the exact right moment. I will totally credit this podcast with helping me get off on the right foot in my new role and providing some awesome insight, tips, validation and amusing entertainment along the way. Thanks, you two!
muska1994 · Nov 2025
I’m obsessed with Kim and Kate. They’re charming, kind, warm, and affirming. They’ve helped me transition from teaching high school to earning my PMP and landing my first corporate role and now my first promotion! They gently teach the language of corporate and project management without making me feel dumb, and they make me laugh along the way! I recommend this podcast to everyone I know who wants to do their job better, PM or not.
LilKd417 · Feb 2025
We strive to present a balanced view by showing a diverse range of reviews from Apple Podcasts.
Here you find the Apple Podcasts chart positions of Project Management Happy Hour, its latest episodes to listen to directly, and reviews from listeners. Rankings are updated daily for the United States.
