Eight Hour Grind

Eight Hour Grind will be taking a temporary hiatus. Thank you to our listeners and fans who have followed with us from the start. We look forward to bringing you more engaging content in the future. 

Are you ready to take a leap of faith into entrepreneurship or start a new career? With burnout being the highest rate it's ever been at 80%, it's no wonder HR professionals are looking to tread new paths. Whether those changes are as simple as changing employers or something more drastic, the mass exodus is happening, and today, we are going to be talking about what that means, where they are going, and how these trends could change HR in ways we've not seen before. Our next guest, Leang Chung, is a brave soul who decided to do something drastic and take the road less traveled in the middle of the pandemic. She is encouraging her peers to consider the same calling in stepping away from the way things are and instead focusing on the way things can be. She is passionate about helping mid-career women see the path and take hold of their destiny. With over 15 years of HR leadership and executive coaching experience, Leang will share important career advice you won't want to miss.In this episode we cover the following topics:

Communication skills are a must for any successful individual. They allow you to connect with others and influence decisions that may impact your work life and the world at large as well as helping to create change when necessary. Public speaking is one of the most dreaded forms of communication. Glossophobia or speech anxiety affects people everywhere – over 77% of people have some level of anxiety about public speaking. For most of us, it can be daunting challenge to get up in front of others when you're terrified! From our elementary school days to adulthood, everyday interactions between coworkers can quickly turn into a nightmare if you don't master some of these skills; yet, most of us do not know how, or do not take the time to practice our communication and public speaking skills on a regular basis. Today our guest, Brendan Kumarasamy, will give us insight on ways we can take practical steps to get started getting comfortable with public speaking. He created a channel to help people like you and I gain the confidence needed to step up and deliver and present with smooth efficiency. In this episode we cover the following topics:

There is a high likelihood that most of the greatest, life-changing, and transformational ideas never see the light of day. This is because many people are too afraid or do not know how to act on their ideas and it's likely that most of those life-changing ideas will come from advancements in technology. To get those ideas to the forefront, we desperately need to change our current system and allow for the best ideas to make it out of the idea stages. How do we do this? We need to deconstruct and redesign how our great ideas receive attention by bringing these advanced technologies into reality through collaboration. Today's guest, Jared Yellin, is a non-technical tech founder who found a way to scale his original tech company with ZERO dollars invested to over 40,000 paying users from around the world. He has even partnered up with Real Estate guru Grant Cardone to make this happen. Jared has declared his plan to build, scale, and sell 10,000 tech companies in 10 years. From one ambition to the next, he is making waves and not apologizing for it. In this episode we cover the following topics:

Have you ever experienced a life altering moment? An accident, a cancer scare, or the sudden loss of a loved one? Suddenly everything that is important comes into focus. Like life has slowed down to a crawl and clarity is the byproduct. Many of you have had these experiences, while others have not, and yet, until you do, you never truly know what is real and what isn't. Who your real friends are, who is going to show up when you're down, answer your call when everything is broken, or show up to the hospital when you're sick or unconscious. Today, we were going to talk about what that looks like. When you lose everything, and you've surrounded yourself with people who aren't really in it for you, people that leave you undelivered in your darkest moments. But better than that, we're going to talk about redemption. How you can rise from the ashes and thrive again. This could be your story, and for our next guest, it is his story. Brian Esposito is a true rags to riches story that could have ended in unfortunate tragedy, but ended up being a wake-up call that has led to new blessings and opportunities. He is the founder and CEO of Esposito Intellectual Enterprises that currently has over 65 entities within it and over 150 joint ventures that have been accumulated around the world over the last 20 years. In 2020, he was named as one of the World's Top 10 CEO's. Although these are impressive, he would argue that none of these are his greatest triumph. No, coming back from a tragic and near-death experience put things in perspective and would be his greatest accomplishment to date. In this episode we cover the following topics:

People in a well-functioning work community have been shown to be more productive and innovative. At the same time they feel safer, and in turn feel healthier. They have clarity in their objectives and are balanced in their roles and responsibilities. All of this creates an environment where people feel like welcomed members of a team that has a vested interest in their community's success. Now, having this type of community increases your chances against unnecessary and unproductive adversity. Today we are going to be talking with a very inspiring individual that wanted to change the landscape and allow others into her community to learn from her struggles. For Julia Taylor, her goal is to empower as many women as she possibly can to see others succeed where she had to struggle. This teaching community instructs women and giving them the opportunity to develop the skills they need for personal and professional growth in an industry that hasn't been inclusive of her, or others like her.In this episode we cover the following topics:

We all know the value of a good first impression, however it seems we are actually having fewer and fewer opportunities to do that in an authentic way. Often our first impressions online are based on pictures, credentials, job titles, and 280 characters. But there are so much more to humans that cannot be found on our resume. Our guest today, Jeff Bitton, is seeking to bridge that gap and the disconnection between human connection and our current hiring practices. Current founder and CEO of Pitch59, a platform that allows people to pitch themselves, their services, or their costs, Jeff based his work on the idea that people hire people that they know, like, and trust. By allowing users to pitch themselves, they can add an element of personal touch to their online presence.In this episode we cover the following topics:

#AI is creeping into every part of our lives today, some would say it is too much and yet others see it as a way to push the human race forward – like it or love it, it is here to stay. We see some compelling evidence how AI and #machinelearning can be used to create better system for assessment. There are now new assessment technologies that allow companies to publish their own adaptive exams using the same algorithms used by industry leaders all around the world. By using these proven technologies, like response theory, computerized adaptive #testing, and multi-stage testing, there is so much potential at our fingertips. The end results in numerous advantages including shorter tests, increased accuracy, improved data #security, and enhanced exam engagement. The potential of adaptive assessments is limitless, helping teachers, students, and employees' better assess and adapt to an ever-changing world where high-quality skills are critical to success. Our next guest, Nathan Thompson, has a PhD in psychometrics and is on a mission to improve the quality of assessments by building better systems. He is a big believer that bad tests, make bad decisions. In this episode we cover the following topics:

Today's business environment is intensely competitive, therefore managing the performance of employees plays a vital role in meeting company objectives, keeping them engaged, and being able to take appropriate action to help employees when they are not performing at their best. Utilizing  business intelligence data to measure targets and demonstrate new opportunities is an effective way of measuring and motivating your employees. Without performance management, there is no way of knowing how you're performing and would be difficult to adjust your targets or strategy for hitting goals. Today our guest, Ben Eubanks is a father of four, author, podcaster, and researcher. He spends his days learning about how technology can be used for the good of organizations and their employees. We'll be discussing some of the simple, yet effective approaches high performing companies do differently to measure performance and what you can do to implement different strategies quickly and effectively.  Listen to the Eight Hour Grind on your favorite streaming platform: https://lnkd.in/dSHgn3AQ

Even with the best of intentions, we have a propensity to gravitate towards those that look and think like us. It takes a solid leader to allow people in their circle who think differently and challenge the status quo. But embracing this can change the fabric of a company, their culture, and spark new creativity and innovation that breathes life into an organization. According to multiple studies, diverse teams produce 19% more revenue and inclusive teams make better decisions 80% of the time. Our next guest is on a mission to increase the number of women working in the tech industry, so much so that his existing team is 80% women. His most notable awards include Business Week's “Young Entrepreneur”, and Revolution Magazine's “Top 50 Most Influential People.” An engineer by profession, Raj Anand has founded three startups, raised capital, and taken one venture from zero to acquisition. Listen in as he discusses the importance of women in the workforce and the value they bring to your company. In this episode we cover the following topics:

Social media can become a time-sucking, passive laser beam that can take over your lives. Do you find yourself scrolling for hours on end, going into the vortex of videos, or unconsciously posting everything you see? What happens when you realize you are totally burnt out? Do we attribute this to social media? Marketing platforms we love the most could be hurting us more than helping. The same systems we are using to connect with each other may be leaving us strung out and emotionally bankrupt. Our next guest has flipped the script and quit social media to put an end to it taking over her life. Listen in as we talk with Katie Leigh to discuss how she teaches businesses to slow down and get intentional with their marketing without getting bogged down by social media. In this episode we cover the following topics:

Over the years we've seen companies with great products, services, and people who run their business like a colossal dumpster fire – stacks of paper everywhere, poor processes, customers constantly complaining to employees. This self-inflicted chaos CAN be solved. Our next guest is a whiz in the world of systemization and certified systemologist; can you say that three times fast? His core belief is that many businesses never achieve their potential primarily because of the systems they lack to scale and grow. Listen in as we talk with Joe Newton to learn how to “unstick” yourself in the day-to-day and achieve a productive business operation.In this episode we cover the following topics:

As we look into what 2022 holds for us, many of us are seeing busy schedules with little whitespace on our calendars, but is this the way we want our lives to look? Today, we are going to talk about how to use self-awareness to understand what it is you truly want. In this week's episode our host, Troy Vermillion, sits down with Keith Campagna. Keith is the founder of Lifework Integration, the CSO at ROI Shop, and is passionate about helping individuals and organizations become happier and healthier. We also look at the importance of gratitude, how to cultivate better habits, and building winning cultures.Listen to the Eight Hour Grind on your favorite streaming platform: https://lnkd.in/dSHgn3AQ 

Closing sales can be difficult. From keeping your prospects engaged to executing the perfect pitch, every organization has its hurdles to cross in acquiring life-long customers. Today, we are going to look at how to maximize something we are all familiar with – video – in order to drive engagement and build credibility. In this week's episode our host, Troy Vermillion, sits down with Nick Capozzi. Nick is the founder of SalesPitching, where he uses his twenty plus years of experience to help optimize his client's sales pitches and processes. We also discuss understanding your audience and why “faking it until you make it” is a bad idea. In this episode we cover:

It's been said that the difference between a goal and a dream is a plan. Often when it comes to our finances, we tend not to act. Whether we don't know where to start or even are unsure of the importance of financial literacy, we struggle to begin and implement a game-plan. Our guest, Charles Calloway, is here to talk about just that. He is the Regional Vice President for Primerica, a leading financial services company. We discuss how employers can help, the value of #generosity, and the importance asking questions to understand where you choose to #invest your money.  In this episode we cover:

We've all heard that we should follow our passion and truly do what we love, but what about when you've been rejected thirty-five times and most people in your life are not on board with your pursuits? Today's guest has been there. In this week's episode, our host, Troy Vermillion, sits down with Ali Baghchehsara, an accomplished entrepreneur as the founder of multiple aerospace companies who is currently working on building an engine to speed up interplanetary travel to Mars. I know, out of this world stuff. We discuss what it means to pursue your dreams, emotional intelligence as a leader, and the importance of collaboration for advancement.

We've all seen the recent challenges in the world of attracting, #hiring, and retaining the top #talent, and whether you are the talent or the talent-seeker, we can agree this process has its difficulties. How can #employers attract and keep the best in the business? Also, what can job seekers be doing to leverage their advantageous skills to reach their career goals? In this episode, our host, Troy Vermillion, sits down with Corrine Ishio, Head of Global Talent Acquisition at AttackIQ as well as the CEO & Founder of My Working Soul. We discuss the value of human connection, creating a strong employee value proposition, and why making time to check-in and addressing mental health in the workplace may be the most important work you do. #dailygrind 

 A special Thanksgiving bonus episode! Whether in athletics or business, topics like risk, maximizing talent, and understanding your strengths and weaknesses are pivotal for growth. How do lessons learned from athletics translate to real-world business decisions? In this episode, our host Troy Vermillion sits down with Jacob Heppner, a 5x CrossFit Games athlete and entrepreneur. As we celebrate Thanksgiving, we also get to discuss community, loving on people, and fellowship, and how to prioritize these in your own life. 

The power dynamic in the job hiring process has seen a shift as the supply of qualified candidates is not keeping up with demand. What can organizations be doing to differentiate themselves and truly entice and engage talent? On the flip side, what questions should candidates be asking to find the best fit? In this episode, our host Troy Vermillion sits down with Anessa Fike, a thought leader in HR and talent acquisition and the CEO & founder of Fike & Co. We will discuss what it looks like to create a ready and welcoming company culture, what it actually means to invest in diversity, inclusion, belonging, and equity, and navigating the disconnects between generations in the workplace.Listen to the Eight Hour Grind  on your favorite streaming platform: https://lnkd.in/dSHgn3AQ

As we navigate into the post-pandemic world, one thing is for sure - remote work is here to stay. Do you want to work for or build a business based in flexibility, travel, and leveraging your strengths? In this episode our host Troy Vermillion sits down with Yaro Starak, an entrepreneur, blogger, podcast host, and world traveler, to discuss the zone of genius, what it means to be a digital nomad, and how to select the right business model to reach your goals.Listen to the Eight Hour Grind  on your favorite streaming platform: https://lnkd.in/dSHgn3AQ

With the advancements in data analytics and Ai, the world of finance is undergoing digital transformation. What will the future of data look like, and what effect will it have for you and your organization? In Episode 8 of the Eight Hour Grind, our host Troy Vermillion sits down with Glenn Hopper, an author and CFO, to discuss how the sharing of data leads to the crowdsourcing of ideas, how effectively using data to forecast leads to better organizational decisions, and the importance of finding a work-life balance.In this episode we cover:

The skills needed to perform a job and the skills needed to obtain that same job are often very different. What should employers and job hunters be asking about and looking for in the “game” we call the job interview process? In Episode 7 of the Eight Hour Grind, Jeff Altman, podcast host and career coach, sits down with our host, Troy Vermillion, to discuss the evolution of the job hiring process, a better way to hire, and how to “cut the line” by capitalizing on your personal brand.

The workforce landscape is shifting, and so is the response from leadership. In episode six of the Eight Hour Grind Podcast, our host Troy Vermillion speaks with Gary DePaul, an author, leadership expert, and podcast host, about what it looks like to lead from a place of openness and compassion, putting the team first allowing for creativity and innovation to thrive. Listen to us on your favorite platform: https://lnkd.in/dSHgn3A

The key to success in life and business is to become skilled at Conversational Intelligence. It's not about how smart you are, but how open you are to learn new and effective powerful conversational rituals that prime the brain for trust, partnership, and mutual success. On this episode we will talk with Elaine Jacques, a speech pathologist for over 16 years — lip reading just happens to be one of her special skills — about how to achieve Conversational Intelligence and why body language plays an important role in communication.Listen to us on your favorite platform: https://lnkd.in/dSHgn3A

Some may view HR as the “fun police” by not allowing certain activities or being rigid with protocol. However, modern HR is changing and striving to build a workplace that challenges, rewards, and motivates employees. On this episode we will talk with Traci Rubin, an HR leader who has helped pilot global HR teams in the retail industry and has made it her mission to destigmatize all the rumors we believe about HR. Join us this week as we discuss breaking down HR stigmas and ending the false perceptions that surround it.Listen to us on your favorite platform: https://lnkd.in/dSHgn3A

From AI to biotechnology, aging to addiction, cybersecurity to privacy, and climate change to trust, we can use these topics to help business leaders better understand what trends are emerging, how they are positioned to disrupt companies and industries, and how new value can be created for those willing to make the necessary changes. On this episode we will talk with Don MacPherson, a five-time social entrepreneur who researches the employee and customer experiences, the attributes of great leadership, and how healthy organizational cultures are created and sustained to help leaders successfully navigate the way we live and work.Listen to us on your favorite platform: https://lnkd.in/dSHgn3AQ

How can we create a human-centric workplace?  With the next workforce generation emerging and the now accustomed remote environment, many factors are changing in the workplace. On this episode we will talk with Angela Howard, an organizational psychologist, culture strategist, and social entrepreneur about what it means to be a culture architect, help grow the next generation of leaders, and shape the human experience to improve the future of work.

Host Troy Vermillion sits down with Jonaed Iqbal the founder of NoDegree, who's passion is helping exceptional talent without college degrees land careers. As the employment landscape shifts, companies are beginning to hire for skills and abilities—not degrees. This week we'll talk about breaking down barriers of the hiring bias, how to build your personal brand, successfully market yourself, and confidently land your dream job.

Meet Troy and Bart, two people who love to talk about everything involving work. This is a new weekly podcast showcasing leading influencers, HR professionals, corporate leaders, and other guests who can give us some insight on our daily eight hour grind.New episodes Tuesdays at 12pm EST for your listening education and enjoyment.