#35 - The Art of Connection in a Digital Age: Finding Meaning at Work with Nini Fritz

"Energy is everything and everything is energy." These words from Nini Fritz, founder of the Work Happiness Project, cut straight to the heart of our modern work dilemma. In a culture that celebrates busyness as a badge of honour, we've forgotten that productivity isn't measured by hours spent, but by the quality of our presence.

This conversation is a breath of fresh air – literally. Recorded outdoors in Sydney's Centennial Park, Nini and I explore how changing our environment can instantly boost creativity and wellbeing. But the fundamental transformation begins when we shift our relationship with work itself, moving from a transactional exchange of time for money to a purposeful expression of who we are.

Nini introduces a brilliantly simple framework: categorising activities as energy drainers (red), retainers (yellow), or gainers (green), then intentionally structuring our days to maximise what fills our cup. This isn't just feel-good advice – it's backed by Harvard's groundbreaking 85-year study showing that meaningful human connection is the primary indicator of a fulfilled life.

What struck me most was Nini's insight that fulfilment doesn't require dramatic life changes. It lives in the "micro moments" of our days – savouring morning coffee, soaking in sunshine, or engaging in genuine conversation. When we align what we do, how we do it, and why we do it, we create an internal compass that guides our decisions with clarity.

For leaders and organisations, there's a compelling business case too. People who feel cared for become more creative, productive, and loyal. They take fewer sick days and perform better, making well-being not just a nice-to-have, but a strategic advantage that transforms "Thank God It's Friday" into "Thank God It's Monday."

Would you be ready to reimagine your relationship with work? Connect with Nini at theworkhappinessproject.com or explore her eyeConnect game at eyeonnectgame.com, designed to spark meaningful conversations in a distraction-filled world.

Please share your thoughts with us, and let's build more human-centred workplaces together.

Chapters

• 0:00 Introducing Nini Fritz
• 7:36 Redefining Success Through Meaning
• 16:29 Energy Management Over Time Management
• 19:36 Human Connection in a Digital World
• 22:42 Finding Personal Fulfillment in Micro Moments
• 26:04 Internal Alignment as Your North Star

Transcript

Leon Goltsman: 0:00

Hello and welcome back to Engaging Conversations. I'm your host, Leon Goltsman, and each week we speak with people who are reshaping what's possible for our families, communities and future. Today's episode is a wake-up call to reimagine how and why we work. My special guest is Nini Fritz, founder of the Work Happiness Project and creator of eyeConnect, a digital detox game that helps teams ditch the distractions and reconnect through real human conversation.

Leon Goltsman: 0:30

Nini's work is redefining success, not by how many hours we put in, but by how aligned we feel, how energised we show up and how meaningfully we connect from bucket list to micro moments. She's on a mission to make workspaces more human and lives more fulfilling. We'll unpack why energy management matters more than time management, why meaningful conversations drive performance and how small changes can create big shifts in our personal and professional lives. This episode is made possible thanks to the support of Niaz Cannoth and the team at Invest Intelligence, proud sponsors of the show and champions of purpose, progress and community. Connected Futures echoes everything today's conversation is all about, and if you're ready to re-energise your team, create space for deeper connection and lead with greater clarity and intention, then you're exactly where you need to be. So, without further ado, let's get into it.

Nini Fritz: 1:31

Hello everyone, my name is Nini Fritz and I'm passionate about people and connections. I am the founder of the Work Happiness Project, which is all about workplace well-being and supercharging employees' energy from the inside out, and I'm also the founder of iConnect, which is a digital detox game meant to spark real connections in a world full of digital distraction.

Leon Goltsman: 1:56

You certainly epiphanize all those things because you're full of energy and your energy is very contagious.

Nini Fritz: 2:02

Thank you.

Leon Goltsman: 2:03

So most of us know that. You know we spend a third of our lives working, but that doesn't mean we feel alive while doing it. What do you think is missing in the way we approach work today, and how can we shift into something more fulfilling, no matter what our job title is?

Nini Fritz: 2:18

Honestly, what I think it's missing is meaning Like we became so used to exchanging our time for money and just accepted that that's the way it is. But I don't think it has to be that way. It doesn't mean we have to make our passion our profession, and it's not necessarily about what we do. It's much more about why we do and who we do it with. So I do think once we change the intention of why and how we show up at work, we actually become more fulfilled at work as well.

Leon Goltsman: 2:49

Certainly, I do agree with you. A lot of people are listening to the podcast. They don't actually see where we're working right now. Should I tell them, or do you want to just let them?

Nini Fritz: 2:58

Let's just keep it at. We're working from Centennial Park, surrounded by a beautiful landscape and nature.

Leon Goltsman: 3:03

It is beautiful, but not just that. Look at all the people running around. We're seeing all sorts of characters because we're being aware of our environment, but also it's Friday and it's like if we're going to work, why not take it where we want it right?

Nini Fritz: 3:17

Absolutely. I feel like we got to let go of that fact that work is all about, you know, hustling and grinding, and allow ourselves to actually have fun and, you know, look at it with joy. And then we can actually become more creative and productive once we change our environment and really find something that lights us up, and then, you know, we become much more creative in our approach at work if we get out of the usual environment and the setting, because that really does something to our mind as well.

Leon Goltsman: 3:50

And it's really important to get a bit of sunlight, because there's one of the benefits of being outdoors and it's highly recommended to get some serotonin into you at least one hour a day. So we thought why not do it today, right?

Nini Fritz: 3:58

Absolutely. I feel like the best drug on humans is nature, so we got to soak it in and create more of this self-generated happiness. That is free and it's accessible almost everywhere, but especially in Australia, and even more so in Sydney, one of the most sunniest cities in the world.

Leon Goltsman: 4:16

So if we can get our rush of serotonin here, I don't know where else we can get it, and it's a good way to put ourselves in a good mood, naturally without being on the screens.

Nini Fritz: 4:28

Yeah, definitely we can create happiness from the inside out. We don't need anything external. Yeah, that's what I'm all about. We got it all inside of us.

Leon Goltsman: 4:37

So, whether you're running a business or a part-time team, your energy is the biggest asset. How can we protect and recharge our energy so that we show up as our very best selves, without burning out or switching off from life?

Nini Fritz: 4:52

Absolutely. I love that question. I generally believe energy is everything and everything is energy, especially in these days now where mental health and burnout are at their peak time. These days now where mental health and burnout are at their peak time, we almost treat burnout like a badge of honor, like that it's something good to be always busy, but you're not always being productive.

Leon Goltsman: 5:12

So I don't get that. I mean, people go out there, they work, they do things, they spend how many, who knows how many hours doing things that could be done in a quarter of the time, and then you ask them how are you going? Oh, busy, busy. What have you done? Oh, I've had 20 meetings and I've done X, y, z, and what did they accomplish? Just busy.

Nini Fritz: 5:34

Absolutely. I feel like busyness doesn't equal productivity or outcome. So, yeah, coming back to the question and the energy, I would say it really starts with setting clear boundaries, intentional breaks and also being brave enough to slow down when you need it Instead of like pushing harder. It's really about creating these intentional moments of slowing down. I call it like reset to supercharge, to actually get more energy, instead of just running around on an empty battery and trying to produce more. We need to fill our own cup first and then actually give the world from a state of overflow, and not just give it from like an almost half empty cup anyway and then deplete our own batteries.

Nini Fritz: 6:19

So I'm very strong on setting clear boundaries and taking these intentional break times by defining what really gets us energy Like. Look at our daily activities and figure out what our energy drainers. They're the red ones, like a traffic light, pretty much. What are energy retainers? They're the yellow ones. And what are energy gainers? They're the green ones. So then it's about structuring our day to maximize our gainers and, ideally, minimize our drainers.

Leon Goltsman: 6:51

Well, I need to know more about that, and I know that you've done a lot of work on that and also one of your projects that you do. You're going to share that with us a little bit later on, aren't you?

Nini Fritz: 7:01

Absolutely.

Leon Goltsman: 7:02

Now we were talking about energy, and I've always thought it can apply to anything, by the way, not just energy. It can apply. Well, I suppose it can apply to money as well. That's energy. And also time you spend with people that's energy. The amount of work you put in into a project, that's energy. So what I'm getting at is is you want to put energy into the right places, and whatever doesn't feed you eats you, so you want to make sure that the energy you spend is done in a way that's going to bring out the best in you and in others.

Nini Fritz: 7:36

Absolutely. I'm 100% with you. I think we should look at energy in terms of junk food and superfood. Energy terms of like junk food and superfood you know what are the things that actually just killing our time, like doom scrolling and social media, and that's taking our energy, but it's not adding any value to our life unless we seek out inspiration or use it to connect with people, or look at it from like a superfood perspective. You know what is adding energy? What makes us feel nourished, what makes our soul feel like we're actually getting in all of the good stuff? And, yeah, we have to be very intentional with it. Energy is our highest asset. It doesn't even depend on age or money or anything around it. It's really something that we can activate within ourselves by just applying a few little mini mindset and life hacks to get the most out of it and not waste it on the wrong things.

Leon Goltsman: 8:29

So my understanding is it's about mindfulness.

Nini Fritz: 8:33

Absolutely. It's mindful instead of mindful.

Leon Goltsman: 8:37

Mindful. That's a bit of a play on words.

Nini Fritz: 8:40

Yeah, it's like just for the listeners listeners like one is with one l and the other one is with two l. So either your mind is full of like thoughts and to do's and busyness, or you're being mindful of being very intentional where you put on your energy and one letter can make a major difference in your life or one word.

Leon Goltsman: 9:00

If you take the word mind out, you're just left with a fool but you can be full of energy as well.

Nini Fritz: 9:06

So being full is not a bad thing. It just depends on what you're being full of.

Leon Goltsman: 9:11

But energy is all about making the right connections, and we all crave connections, but the more connected we are digitally, the more disconnected we seem to be personally, mimi, how did you come to recognize the real human connection is not just nice to have but is essential to how we thrive at work and in life.

Nini Fritz: 9:32

Human connection is honestly the number one indicator for a fulfilling and happy life. That's just not me saying that. It's actually the longest study ever conducted by Harvard University. It was like an 85-year-old study, so it's something very timeless. That hasn't changed. We're just social beings by nature and in this digital time age we actually thrive high on connectedness. In terms of quantity connections let's say, thousands of LinkedIn followers, instagram followers, youtube subscribers but we're actually lacking connection, and connection is not found in the width, but actually in the depth of things.

Leon Goltsman: 10:14

What's interesting? You just said something that was quite coincidental. You mentioned 85-year-old Harvard study.

Leon Goltsman: 10:24

Last week I was doing an interview and she mentioned that study and spoke in depth about it. So I'm not going to pick your brains on this one right now, but it's just good to know that some of the most inspiring people that I know, and people from all different walks of life, are actually relating to an 85-year-old study which tells me that some of the best things aren't always ahead of us, but some of the things that got us to where we are today are a result of what we could have been and should have been paying attention to in the past.

Nini Fritz: 10:58

Absolutely. I feel like you know, it's something that's always been ingrained inside the human being that we're social by nature and I think in this digital world and kind of, you know, like a society of overachievers, we became a little bit disconnected from what truly matters. But yeah, I think in the end, everyone just wants to be happy and feel connected with themselves and with the people around them. I think that's actually that easy to live a truly fulfilled life, and I think that's a bit of a misconception in today's world that it's all driven by profit, not necessarily driven by purpose.

Leon Goltsman: 11:37

You mentioned profit and usually people when they consider profit they think, okay, well, we need to go and start our own business. And a lot of people, especially the business owners, feel pressure to perform but they seem to forget how to prioritize personal fulfillment. How can listeners, our listeners, especially our listeners bring more meaning into their daily lives without needing to escape or overhaul everything?

Nini Fritz: 12:01

There's plenty of ways to bring more fulfillment to your life. I think a lot of people think they need to start a charity or, you know, run a marathon and do fundraising to find fulfillment. But actually it's really in the micro moments of our daily lives, like being intentional about how we spend our time. It can be micro things such as, you know, sipping your morning coffee, soaking in the sunshine and listening to your favorite tune. That's some sort of like, you know, adding to your cup, filling your own cup first. But it can also be about macro things, like ticking something off your bucket list, which I'm all about.

Nini Fritz: 12:38

Living an intentional, fulfilling life by something off your bucket list, which I'm all about living an intentional, fulfilling life by ticking off your bucket list. But personal fulfillment can be found in these kind of moments and it's not necessarily about finding all your fulfillment at work, Like it's a nice add on. But you can live a fulfilled life and then actually show up to your job and do it with more passion, with more creativity and, just you know, overflow on that enthusiasm for life which then adds to your performance. But it's not necessarily that you first find that fulfillment in what you're doing.

Leon Goltsman: 13:13

I love my work. I actually, I really love my work.

Nini Fritz: 13:16

No, no, I really.

Leon Goltsman: 13:17

I really love my work. There's so many aspects to it that I love. I. Actually, I really love my work. I really, I really love my work. I there's so many aspects to it that I love. I mean, I love working with people. I love coming up with ideas. I wish I could say all the ideas of mine, but they're not that. Everything that that we do, that I do is is always been a team effort and and and I and I. I can't wait to wake up every morning to do what I get to do every day. And you, I saw that spark. So the first time we met, through the Chamber of Commerce, of course, but also we're movers and shakers. We don't wait for something to come up to us.

Nini Fritz: 13:53

We create it.

Leon Goltsman: 13:54

We create it, we make it happen, we create it, we make it happen. And it's interesting that when you go out there, when I go out there and I don't want to speak on behalf of everybody else, but I know for me that when I go out somewhere with intention, it usually leads me to that path it's almost like I'm going out on a journey and I still pinch myself every day by experiencing the things that I do and the people that come into my life. You know, and I see you, you're very similar to me in that sense. How do you feel about that?

Nini Fritz: 14:29

I 100% agree Also just throwing statistics at you, but we're living in a time of the most disengaged workforce, so I would consider ourselves two of the lucky ones to actually find fulfillment in their work and get excited about jumping out of bed in the morning and doing what we're doing, who we're doing it with and who are we doing it for. And I'm so driven by my own mission to bring exactly that into the world, like into people's personal life and into their work lives as well, to feel more of that spark Like. I just want more people to jump out of bed and get excited and feel that zest for life. We already have it inside of us. We just need to ask ourselves better questions to get to the answers instead of always chasing this external fulfillment. And yeah, for me it's just a big wake-up call for everyone out there that you got everything that you need inside of you. And, yeah, it's in your own power to feel that zest for life within yourself as well.

Leon Goltsman: 15:32

But that energy is also contagious and I find that it's almost like when you have that energy, that good, let's do this. Other people follow, the right people, they go. Wow, I want some of that.

Nini Fritz: 15:44

Energy is contagious.

Leon Goltsman: 15:45

It is.

Nini Fritz: 15:46

It's not just woo-woo spiritual science, it's actually physically proven. It's like you know, the faster the atoms vibe in our body, the higher the frequency we're vibing on and we just magnetically feel drawn to people who vibe on a higher frequency. We feel inspired by them. They kind of have this light around them and we just want to get a spark of their light. Everyone feels attracted by the light and if you stand there like the sunshine, like you're just shining anyway and it's not taking from you, and that is exactly why you are where you are today.

Nini Fritz: 16:19

Thank you.

Leon Goltsman: 16:20

So those people that haven't met, you don't realize you've actually gone away to Bali for quite a while.

Nini Fritz: 16:27

Five years, five years.

Leon Goltsman: 16:29

Yeah, but you don't need to go to Bali or do a 10-day retreat to feel aligned. I mean, a lot of people think, oh yeah, look, this is what I need to do to find myself. Some people may, but not everyone. What does it really mean to find internal alignment? I mean, you're talking about that, but how does that change the way we work and the way we live?

Nini Fritz: 16:48

As someone who has actually lived in Bali for so long, I can say that finding true alignment is not location based, so you can find it anywhere.

Nini Fritz: 16:59

It's more of like an inner feeling rather than an external feeling. I would define it as if what you do, how you do it and why you do it is all in synchronicity. It's an inner feeling of hell, yes, and it doesn't mean it's always a smooth ride and it doesn't come without challenges, and you just, you know, walk through the world like a unicorn on a fluffy rainbow cloud. But it's this inner feeling of you know, you feel fueled up, you feel like this clarity over chaos. You just feel like it's this inner fuel that keeps you going because it's connected to who you truly are, down at your core. And I think you can feel that inner yes if you listen. But you need to attune to actually, you know, slow down to hear that, and I think often it's covered in so many layers and expectations of the outer world that we don't give ourselves permission to listen in words. But if you do so, you can feel it and hear it and it's a North Star that you experience.

Leon Goltsman: 18:04

Yeah, and that's really important the North Star for those people. The thing is just that that's just the symbol. The symbol is a guide and the guide is our compass.

Nini Fritz: 18:15

Absolutely. I feel like it's an inner guidance and once you're connected to that, you cannot turn off that GPS.

Leon Goltsman: 18:26

People rely on their technology and their GPS to try and navigate where they're going. But the irony is a lot of the explorers and we're going back even before Vikings time they would be using the North Star to get around.

Nini Fritz: 18:38

Vikings time they would be using the North Star to get around. Yeah, absolutely so. Yeah, apply that for your own personal life. Just define your North Star and then you don't need to know every single turn along the way. You just need to see the next, like 100 meters ahead of you, and then slowly but steadily, progress towards your North Star. It's just an encouragement for everyone listening. You don't have to have it all figured out on step one. The path comes clear as you walk it and you don't have to have it figured out before you start walking.

Leon Goltsman: 19:10

Yeah and you don't really need to have it figured out on step two, three, four five or six.

Nini Fritz: 19:14

Figure it out along the way.

Leon Goltsman: 19:15

In fact, even if a person doesn't figure it out, it doesn't matter, because as long as they're moving in the right direction, does it really matter?

Nini Fritz: 19:23

It doesn't. I feel like it's better feeling occasionally like lost in the right direction instead of, you know, being uncomfortable sitting in the wrong bus, you know you just go down a way that you actually don't want to go down, but you're just too lazy or it's just too comfortable to get out, so I rather feel lost in the right direction than climbing up the wrong mountain. And what's that cheesy saying?

Leon Goltsman: 19:50

Or here's another one that I heard, which I thought was a pretty good one. It's like climbing up a ladder and then realizing you put it against the wrong wall.

Nini Fritz: 19:57

That's exactly the same analogy. I'm big on analogies. Anyone who follows me on LinkedIn probably knows that I compare every life situation to a real life situation and find a lesson in it.

Leon Goltsman: 20:12

Well, you're relating something to something that's already familiar.

Nini Fritz: 20:15

Yeah, I just want to. I'm a big visual person, so I want to give people a visual idea of how that connects to that feeling.

Leon Goltsman: 20:23

We're learning. Every day is a learning experience. Everything we do and people-first cultures aren't just good for teams. We've seen that they're also good for businesses as well. Now, whether you're an employer, whether an employer is listening to our program or an entrepreneur, how does focusing on well-being create long-term success?

Nini Fritz: 20:43

Well-being is the key driver to peak performance People who feel better, they actually do better. That's statistically proven If you check the recent Gallup study. It's all about that how people who are more engaged and people who feel taken care of by their company and by their company culture become more creative, they become more productive, they have less sick days, they become loyal to the company as well. So you're saving a lot of costs and replacing half productive and low engaged employees by actually investing in wellbeing as a strategy to success. So when people feeling cared for, they want to perform their best for, like someone who's looking after them and it's like I want to show you that I'm worth it and thanks for seeing me, and yeah, you just want to stick with that company, and then profit and success just becomes a natural consequence of having a high performing, high thriving team. That is then creating the best outcomes for your company as well.

Leon Goltsman: 21:48

You're also raising the bar, You're raising the floor, the ceiling, however you want to call it. You know the level. The standard is higher. So it's no longer from here, but it's now from there. So the overall standards are rising. And then what happens is the team begins to monitor themselves. You don't have to watch them, you don't have to tell people what to do. If you've got a competent team and competent members and people who want to be there, I can tell you that sometimes those sort of people, you just leave them alone and let them do their magic.

Nini Fritz: 22:19

And how excited is it if you have people who are actually excited for College TGIM? Thank God it's Monday, you know they're excited to show up for work, and then caring and looking after your people becomes a competitive advantage.

Leon Goltsman: 22:32

No, you're absolutely spot on. Sometimes you've got to ask yourself one question that can change everything. Nini, if someone listening is feeling a little stuck at the moment, a little bit flat, maybe even what's the one powerful question they can ask themselves today to move forward with purpose?

Nini Fritz: 22:51

So I wouldn't be the creator of an icebreaker game if I wouldn't pull out a question that's actually part of the deck to help you find more purpose and fulfillment in your life. So, leon, I picked one question for you from the iConnect deck that's actually perfectly answering your podcast question as well, and it is what would you do if you knew you could not fail? And I picked that because I feel like this one is really zooming out of our limiting beliefs. Often we feel like money is holding us back, time is holding us back. Time is holding us back Like our belief in our own capabilities is holding us back. But if we had a guarantee that we're going to be successful in what we're doing, how much more could we create in this world?

Leon Goltsman: 23:37

And I think it's also a lot of people that are scared. There's fear element, whatever that might be.

Nini Fritz: 23:42

Fear of failure, fear of rejection, this fear element, whatever that might be Fear of failure, fear of rejection, fear of public embarrassment, what do other people think? So I feel like this question really takes out this element of all these fears and limiting beliefs.

Leon Goltsman: 23:54

That's a great question.

Nini Fritz: 23:55

Thank you. Do you have an answer for it?

Leon Goltsman: 23:57

I do, I actually do, but I think my answer will probably be a lot different to other people's answers, so I think maybe we should put it out to people to email us.

Leon Goltsman: 24:08

Oh yeah, and come back and tell us what they're, if they want to, of course, and even if they don't, they should email us anyway and tell us what they thought of the program. So Nini people are going to get back to us. I'll certainly have all the contact details in the show notes, but these programs really aren't just about me. They're about the guests and the community and connecting people. So if people wanted to learn more about you, get in contact with you and find out how they can either contribute, or if people want to know more, how would they contact you?

Nini Fritz: 24:41

For everyone who's interested in the well-being at work like decision makers and people, first companies then please reach out through theworkhappinessprojectcom or just email me at nini at theworkhappinessprojectcom I know it's a long email or find me on LinkedIn, nini Fritz I think there's only one Nini Fritz out there, definitely the one in the blue shirt. And for everyone who is looking for more meaningful unplugged offline connections for a bunch of better questions, then just go on iConnect game I like the I we see with and order yourself a game of meaningful connections.

Leon Goltsman: 25:21

I like it, and I think we should do a group gameplay one of these days as well, but there's a lot of interesting and exciting things coming up, so we're not going to spoil the surprise. There's always something exciting around the corner, and I'm sure that we will be seeing much, much more of you in due course.

Nini Fritz: 25:39

I hope so. I mean, this is all about engaging conversations and I do think a conversation sparking game is pretty good to engage some conversations as well. As you know, intrinsic fulfillment and holistic well-being, that's a great engaging conversations because, after all, we all just want to be happy.

Leon Goltsman: 25:59

We do, Nini. Thank you so much. It's such a pleasure to have you on the program and thank you for joining us.

Nini Fritz: 26:06

Thank you for having me on your podcast. I feel very grateful to be here.

Leon Goltsman: 26:11

Now, how's that for a conversation full of energy, intention and insight, the kind that nudges us to slow down, tune in and take action on what really matters? Nini Fritz brings a refreshing clarity to how we think about work and well-being. Her tools, from the iConnect game to Work Happiness Project, are helping individuals and teams create space for deeper connection, better alignment and more meaningful outcomes. If something resonated with you today a question, a moment or a mindset shift, an invitation to realign, to bring more of your full self into the spaces you lead and live in you can find everything we discussed in the show notes, including ways to reach Nini and explore her work further. And if you're someone who values purpose-driven leadership, meaningful collaboration and the power of real conversation, there's something special on the horizon.

Leon Goltsman: 27:09

We'll soon be bringing together thoughtful voices from across communities, industries and regions for an evening that's all about celebrating the connections that move us forward. So stay tuned and, if you haven't already, make sure to follow Engaging Conversations. Share this episode with someone who leads with intention and leave a quick review to help others discover the show. A big thank you to Niaz Ca nnoth and the team at Invest Intelligence for their continued support and for championing the kind of leadership this platform is all about. I'm Leon Goltsman, and until next time, stay energised, stay connected and let's keep building something meaningful together.