Looks Like Work

Creating Safe Places (with Or Alterman-Barnea)

Or Alterman-Barnea, co-founder and CEO of Mekomot Shmurim (Safe Place), discusses how she transformed theatrical experiences for neurodivergent children. After her own son's autism diagnosis, Or created performances where the lights stay on, sounds remain gentle, and children can move freely without judgment—revolutionizing cultural accessibility across Israel.
Key Topics:
The concept of "relaxed performances" designed for neurodivergent audiences
Creating theater experiences without surprises or sensory overload
The power of community in addressing unmet needs
Or's journey from cultural journalist to inclusive theater pioneer
The philosophy of adapting systems to people instead of forcing people to adapt
Notable Quotes:
"When we started it and thought about 'safe place,' we didn't imagine what kind of meaning 'safe place' would have for us now."
"Every single spoiler that you can think of. There are no surprises."
"It's like we call it a 'shoosh-free zone.' Nobody will shoosh them."
"Many, many families came and said to us, 'This is our first time in the theater.' And we're talking about seven-year-old children, nine-year-old children."
"We're so used to telling this child, 'Listen, if you can't sit then go out'... But no, we will leave the door open. It's on your terms now."
Or's Powerful Question: "When was the last time you thought about who makes the decisions for you? Who decides how people are supposed to dress, to act, to spend their free time, to sit in the theater?"
Resources Mentioned:
The 2025 Safe Place Festival is happening this month - details and tickets are here
Big Umbrella Festival (inspiration for Safe Places): Lincoln Center
Mama-Zone Facebook community (Or's previous initiative): Join here

When Your Dream No Longer Fits (with Natalie Rozenboim)

In this conversation with former Resonai COO Natalie Rozenboim, Chedva explores what happens when we achieve the goals we've worked toward, only to discover they don't feel right anymore. They discuss the pandemic's role in prompting career reassessment, the guilt associated with questioning achievements we've worked hard for, and how to navigate changes in what we want from life.
Key Topics:
The pandemic as a catalyst for questioning career paths
The identity crisis of outgrowing professional achievements
Guilt and confusion when questioning the life we've built
Breaking free from the "sunk cost" mentality
Generational differences in approaching work-life integration
Notable Quotes:
"There's like this pressure to find your thing, which has to encompass so many things. It has to be not only how you make a living, but also something you're passionate about."
"You almost gaslight yourself. Like, why would I not want this? The problem is me."
"We tend to think we just need to decide what we want and just go for it, but I think it's more of a continuous quest."
"We mistake control for progress - holding tightly to answers gives an illusion of forward movement, even when we're standing still."
Natalie's Powerful Question: "Am I building the life I want to live, or do I feel trapped in this life? And what am I going to do about it?"
Resources & Links:
Connect with Natalie on IG https://www.instagram.com/natalie_roz/
Kelly Mindell's blog post "The Year I Built a Life I Don't Want"
Book recommendation: "The Neverending Story" by Michael Ende
Article: "The Great Resignation and Rethinking Priorities Post-Pandemic"

The Questions We Don't Dare to Ask (Solo Episode)

In this solo episode, Chedva Ludmir introduces the new season of Looks Like Work, focusing on three pivotal questions: What do you do when your dream no longer feels right? How do you reclaim a system built to suppress you? And how are you questioning traditional priorities? She explores the concept of "gateway questions" - those gentle inquiries that help us approach what we're afraid to confront - and shares why staying with questions might be more valuable than rushing to answers.
Key Topics:
Introduction to the three guiding questions for Season 3
The power of staying with questions even when we crave certainty
Using "gateway questions" to approach difficult life decisions
How world events have led to deeper questioning of our choices
Notable Quotes:
"When the world feels like it's on fire, there's this powerful urge to flock behind anyone speaking in exclamation points."
"We need gateway questions, those gentle indirect inquiries that help us approach what we're really afraid to confront."
"What I could ask myself at that point was: when will I be ready to ask myself that question?"
Resources Mentioned:
Chedva's newsletter at chedva.substack.com
Previous seasons of Looks Like Work podcast

Solo episode: On grief

Hey folks, I'm back for a solo episode and this one is especially lighthearted… no, of course I'm kidding. But I really wanted to take a minute to talk about grief and I'd love to hear your thoughts and feelings too. 
 
Links & resources
 
You Could Make This Place Beautiful by Maggie Smith
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Questions, inspiration and the idea of work with Stephie Knopel

I first met Stephie on a retreat back in 2016. I was wildly out of my comfort zone, discovering a lot about the entrepreneur I wanted to be and about leadership - and a new incredible friend. Since then, Stephie and I have found that our value systems as people and as entrepreneurs are aligned, and I'm so grateful to finally have this conversation with her. We cover the place of questions and curiosity in entrepreneurship, inspiration and productivity, burnout and being a constant outsider and in-betweener.
 
Links & resources
 
Unboxable 
Double You 
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Your expansive self- with Orit Gidali

Fair warning? This is one of those episodes. Ask me what’s it about, and I’ll respond by asking: what is it not about? I met up with Orit Gidali – like, actually packed my microphone and went to meet her – who’s one of my favorite poets and writers. Over a few glasses of red, we talked about… the human condition, I guess: Sorrow and joy, scarcity and expansiveness, attachment styles and meditation, divorce and heartbreak and exaggerated earrings and sex and passion and the brokenness of us all and violence and war and hurt and vulnerability and empathy and compassion. It’s one of my favorite episodes ever, even with the wine and acoustics messing up some of the sound - maybe even more thanks to that, actually. Enjoy.
Links & resources
 
Orit Gidali’s website (English | Hebrew)
Sadnaot Habait creative writing school (English | Hebrew)
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Building and learning early and fast- with Gil Eyal

Gil had a front row seat to startup life and to working with celebrities. That experience, as well as defining and differentiating himself as an Israeli lawyer in an American business school, has taught him the value of stories and messaging. We speak about startup life, marketing, influencers, career trajectories and important questions.
Links & resources
 
Stardust Ventures
Silverstein Properties
Gil’s podcast with Einat Ben Moshe (Hebrew) 
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Seeing yourself as the core of your life - with Hila Segal

Many of us can be pretty jaded or cynical when it comes to spirituality - I know I can - but knowing Hila has completely changed my perception of spiritual guides. Hila is as funny, pragmatic, sharp and smart as she is spiritual and heart-led. In this conversation, we dive into notions of abundance and scarcity, ego, effort and how they reflect in life and work. 
 
Links & resources
 
Hila on Instagram (Hebrew)
Hila and Danielle’s podcast - My Happy Place (Hebrew)
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Curiosity, attention and liminal spaces - with Natalie Shell

Hop into the time machine and join me and my friend Natalie Shell, Co-founder of Message Lab as we explore curiosity, creativity, the concept of rest and how we can grow in times of turbulence and be kinder to ourselves and to each other.
 
Links & resources
Natalie on Linkedin
Message Lab
TTT - the poem Natalie mentions
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Solo episode: Questions, narratives and self reflection

In this solo episode, Chedva offers reflections on personal narratives, brave question-asking an self reflection.
 
She also explores: 
“Coming out” culturally as in between definitions
Interviewing other people (or listening to those interviews) as a gateway to understanding yourself
Self curation in an era of oversharing
Links & resources
 
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