The Frontline Industry Podcast

Charlie Malouf, CEO of Broad River Retail continues to share power stories of leading and loving well. Charlie shares how to create long-term career paths for retail employees, the power of compound interest when you invest  in your people, why Broad River employees see each other as family, and much more. 

Charlie Malouf is the CEO of Broad River Retail, and a true purpose-driven, faith-driven leader. Charlie shares his journey of turning a struggling company around with a unique strategy that might make you raise an eyebrow: faith. Charlie describes how investing in a cultural reset was critical to his strategy, and the importance of resilience when faced with insurmountable challenges in life. 

Globally recognized speaker and author, Davin Salvagno, continues diving deeply into the topic of purpose in this deep and meaningful episode. He explains how to unlock gratitude in your life (versus envy), how to very intentionally leave people better than you found them, and the importance of embracing the potential life changing impact of every moment. 

Listen to hear renowned speaker and author Davin Salvagno give a masterclass on the topic of "purpose". Do you know your purpose? How can you live it out well? What are the 12 thieves of purpose that get in the way of living life to the fullest? If you've felt lost in life, like something is missing, this podcast episode is for you. 

Managing Director at CareerCircle, Kim Sneeder, explains the power of authenticity and being true to yourself as a leader and the impact of human connection through small gestures for your team, especially in a remote work environment. If you're looking to make that critical pivot from being a manager to being a leader, this episode is for you.  

Joel is joined by prolific leadership author, Martha Finney, to chat about how to create workplaces that are safe during this tumultuous election season, what you and your team should focus on when everyone and everything seems so divided, how to lean into compassion in the face of misunderstandings, and much more. Are you prepared to help your employees feel safe to be themselves at work, or are you uncertain about how to handle political differences in such a way that it brings you together rather than drawing you apart? This might be a really important podcast for you to listen to...

The CEO and Founder of The Investment Club Network, Owen O'Malley, joins Joel to unveil how to truly feel wealthy regardless of what's in your bank account. Owen goes on to explain how those who don't think they have much money right now are just a few steps away from changing their financial future if they made just a few different choices (surprising how far $20/mo can go!), and much more. 

Join leadership and culture expert Eric Brooker as he reminds you that you are enough and that you need to separate self-worth from external achievements. We talk about the value of shared pain in building bridges with others, the criticality of building strong relationships at work, the ripple effect of small actions, and much more. You won't want to miss it.

We live in a world where people attack and demonize others who disagree with them, rather than listening and seeking to understand with an undercurrent of love and respect. In this episode, Joel dives into a constructive debate with Ellen Rice Chever, covering challenging topics like pursuing tolerance vs. respect, or whether or not real equity should be pursued as an end. You'll truly see what mutual respect and admiration can look like even when you disagree with others, and maybe restore a little hope in humanity!

Joel continues his conversation with Garry Ridge, Former CEO and Chairman Emeritus of WD-40 as Garry tells his story of transitioning from "smart Alec" to servant leader, how to make the workplace a mental health refuge, the power of genuine "How Are You?" questions, and his hopes of continuing to make a difference in the latter stages of his career.

Joel sits down to chat with Garry Ridge, Former CEO and Chairman Emeritus of WD-40. Known the world-over for their incredible company culture, WD-40 has done what some find impossible…created a community of passionate employees who daily go to work with purpose, a purpose that motivates the company in a way that pursuing profits alone never will. 

Joel is joined by Dr. Josh Wymore, an author, executive coach, keynote speaker, and trainer. Do you want to understand the impact of humility on personal growth and leadership effectiveness? Want to learn the 4 key aspects of humility and whether or not you have them? Do you want to kill pride in your life? If so, this episode is for you. 

Joel continues his powerful discussion with Ryan Bond, CPO at Thrive Restaurant Group (a restaurant company with over 170 locations and 10,000+ employees). Ryan uncovers the sneaky ways that fear might be manifesting in your life, how to remove fear from your management team and the way they lead every day, his message for leaders who doubt that Thrive's unique approach to leading with love and release would work for them, and much more. Ryan is our most popular guest of all time, so you certainly won't want to miss this incredible two-part episode.

Our most popular guest of all time is back again! Listen in to Ryan Bond, Chief People Officer at Thrive Restaurant Group, with 170+ restaurants and 10,000+ employees. Ryan reveals how to help employees reach their potential, to become a gardener at work by nurturing the environment for your employees to thrive, how to release fear and the need to control things as a leader, and much more. You won't want to miss the practical and powerful insights from this most-requested guest on the podcast!

On this podcast focused on cultivating great frontline leadership, JD Dillon (Chief Learning Officer at Axonify) reveals who holds the keys to creating great employee experience, how many companies think short-term vs. long term and hinder their results, what truly creates improved retention, engagement, and better customer experience, and much more. 

Adam is the CEO and Co-Founder of Carbliss, the handcrafted premium cocktails that are taking the US by storm. In his conversation with Joel, Adam explains why you should build your personal brand, why it's important to create a culture of appreciation within your company, and how CEOs must stay connected to the frontlines of their business (and much more).

In this insightful episode, Joel continues talking with Martha Bird, the audacious cultural anthropologist. Throughout, you'll learn to question your leadership assumptions and embrace new ways of thinking, understand the limitations of survey data and what to do instead to truly assess the strength or weakness of your company culture, and how better culture leads to greater company profitability.

Martha Bird is a renowned cultural anthropologist who looks at the world of leadership and company culture a little differently, and after listening to this podcast you'll look at those differently, too. In part 1, Martha discusses the significance of generous human connections, overcoming perfectionism, going beyond data to understand your company culture, and much more. 

Aspiring executive leaders, this one's for you.Joel has an important conversation with Tom Burns, one of our most popular guests of all time, as he reflects on the critical concept of power mentorship as a defining relationship that you must have to make it into senior leadership roles in your career. Working hard and having a great resume alone aren't enough to propel you to the C-Suite or other senior roles. Don't miss this one, and send it to an aspiring leader in your life to help them maximize their opportunities.

Joel continues his conversation with Carolyn Swora, an expert on trauma-informed practices in leadership. Carolyn talks about the impact that "small t" trauma can have on our relationships, mental health and overall well-being. She emphasizes the need for self-compassion, vulnerability and making intentional changes to address our emotions, and as always, much more as well.

On today's episode, Joel talks with Carolyn Swora, an expert on the ways that trauma impacts our daily leadership. Carolyn shares the importance of recognizing the wounds we all carry and how they impact our bodies and behavior. She then shares tips for honoring the signals from our bodies to create healthier, more connected work environments, how to listen to your body wisdom, and much more. 

The powerhouse story alchemist, speaker, author, and master coach, Celinne Da Costa, joins Joel in conversation no leader will want to miss. Celinne talks about how high-achieving individuals can become confident, fully expressed leaders, how you should let go of the need to "accomplish" and become your authentic self, rewiring your definition of success so you feel fulfilled, and much more.

Charles Redd is the highly respected DEI Officer for Berkshire Health Systems, the largest employer in Berkshire County, Massachusetts with over 5000 employees. In this vulnerable, raw episode, Charles describes the adversity and pain he went through as a young man, the power of his faith that led to healing, and how his story impacts the way he leads, treating others with dignity and creating a safe, inclusive environment. If you could use inspiration and maybe a good healthy cry, this episode is for you.

Scott Springer is an accomplished executive consultant and former VP of Operations for the viral nutrition brand Vital Proteins, and in this episode he elaborates on his secret formula for building a positive culture, the importance of cultivating personal relationships with your team, the book and philosophy he recommends for making work more fun, and much more. 

In this episode, Joel continues his chat with employee engagement expert Jim Hauden, founder and former CEO and President of Root Inc. Jim uncovers the 5 blind spots you might have as a leader that you're totally unaware of (you'll definitely want to learn about those), what it really looks like to practically engage hearts and minds of your employees, how to cultivate a culture of truth tellers, and much more.

Jim Haudan is a world-renowned leader and company culture expert, and was the founder and former CEO and President of Root Inc, which was acquired by Accenture in 2021. Jim talks about why employees are engaged everywhere in life but work (and how to change that), what he means by the need for "hard lines, guidelines, and no lines" in the workplace, how to unleash the potential of your people, and much more.

Mike Lynch is a well-known Diversity Strategist & Practitioner, Speaker, Coach, Facilitator, and HR & DEIAB Consultant. In this episode, Mike addresses the criticality of white men being actively involved in DEI, how to create a culture of “speaking up”, what it means to go “all in” vs just being an ally, the power of conversation in driving change, and much more.

Susan Schmitt Winchester picks up where she left off last week in Part 1. Listen as she shares a vulnerable story about how she was triggered at work as a senior executive and how she handled it, how just because you're damaged doesn't mean you're doomed, the power and importance of self-acceptance, and much more. 

In the most emotional, vulnerable, and raw episode of 2024 so far, the CEO and Founder of Healing At Work, Susan Schmitt Winchester, joins Joel on the podcast. Formerly the CHRO at Applied Materials, and also the former CHRO for Rockwell Automation, Susan discusses being an "Adult Survivor of a Damaged Past" (and how you can figure out if you are one too), overcoming broken relationships and addiction, how to deal with being emotionally triggered, and much more. Don't forget to subscribe so you don't miss the powerful finale of Part 2!

The charming, elegant, inspiring Donnebra McClendon (Global Head of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion at Dayforce) explains the key trait in effective leadership, the person who will supercharge your career the most (and how to find them), the importance of reading, how believing in the goodness of people can lead to forgiveness and growth, and much more.

I this juicy episode, Joel sits down to talk with Monigo Saygbay-Hallie, Chief People Officer at Checkers and Rally Drive-In Restaurants. Monigo describes her work in driving industry-shattering retention improvements in a fast-food dining environment, how to create a sense of belonging in your company, the power of love and care at work, how to go about recognizing the potential of every individual, and much more.

John Boudreau might just be the most intelligent individual to grace the Frontline Industry Podcast. You will learn more in these 48 minutes than you may learn at any other time in your week. Take a listen to learn more about how:People can (and should be) be THE competitive advantage for organizations.Many leaders lack the necessary frameworks and models to effectively manage and leverage their people.Leaders should take ownership of people-related responsibilities and develop evidence-based approaches to decision-making. Decision frameworks and models can help leaders navigate uncertainty and make better decisions about talent.Leaders need to change their focus and prioritize understanding the decision frameworks for talent.The deconstruction of jobs and understanding the impact of automation can help organizations plan for the future of work.Continuous upgrading of skills and being adaptable to change are crucial in the evolving work landscape.

She's the founder and CEO of the Devon Group and one of the most widely respected voices in HR. In this episode, Jeanne Achille covers topics like 1) how to have effective communication and boundaries at work, 2) prioritizing employees' holistic wellbeing, 3) positive trends in workplace tech that you should consider, 4) the dynamics of working with her daughter every day, and much more.

Meg Bear, former President and Chief Product Officer at SAP SuccessFactors, a leading HR software company, joins us on this new episode. She shares her efforts to bridge opportunity gaps, advocates for embracing diversity with courage, and discusses leveraging individual strengths for collective impact.Key Highlights:Embrace diversity and be brave in your endeavorsIdentify and utilize your unique strengths to serve othersPrioritize self-care and take time for reflection to align with your aspirationsSeek support and offer feedback to gain clarity on your strengths and influenceDon't miss out on recognizing and maximizing your unique talents to contribute to a more equitable world. Tune in to this episode with Meg Bear!

Thomas is a VC investor, noted former executive at SAP SuccessFactors, and ongoing advisor of top HR tech companies. In this episode, Thomas discussed the origin story of his lifelong learning (he has more degrees than a thermometer), whether or not we should view the explosion of AI through a doomsday lens, the criteria VCs use when investing in a startup, top moments in his career, and much more.

Influencers are everywhere these days, and Steve Goldberg is a leading influencer in the HR Tech space. He joins Joel to talk about his unusual childhood, the impact of losing his family at 33 years old, how HR can deliver strategic value to their organizations, and much more.Don't miss mentions of Al Sharpton, blind mountain climbing, and money laundering in this great episode!

J.J. Cutler, Partner at Heidrick and Struggles, joins Joel for his second time around on the podcast.In this episode J.J. shares:1. The key to managing someone older than you2. What the “clay layer” of management is in your company and why it matters (HUGELY important to understand and work through)3. What you can learn from his mistakes throughout his career4. What really makes a "good" managerDon't miss it.

The legendary Monica Rothgery (first woman to become COO for KFC in the US) literally wrote the book on frontline leadership. In this episode, Monica:Unveils a sneak peek into her brand new book written directly to frontline managers. She gives her Top 2 reasons you should become a restaurant GMThe REAL secret to reducing your turnover (shocker!)And gives YOU a special gift just for you listening to this podcast! 

If you care at ALL about customer experience, you must listen to this episode.Joe Pine is an internationally acclaimed author, speaker, and management advisor to Fortune 500 companies and startups, and he obsesses over customer experience. He write books about it.He lectures about it.It's his claim to fame.You won't want to miss this episode, as Joe explains:1. How companies really get customer experience wrong (and how to get it right)2. How the best customer experiences leverage the theater of the Freytag Diagram3. The 3.5 phases of transformation

Joining the podcast is Derek Tufts, VP of HR at SpartanNash, a food solutions company committed to fostering a people first culture, with over 17,000 associates! Derek gives his best advice on:1) How to stand out to get promoted2) The importance of active listening3) Heartwarming stories about fatherhood 4) How to choose to see the best in others (seeing innocence) ...and much more.

In this final 2023 episode, Joel has a meaningful, heartfelt conversation with the delightful Esther Lee, VP of Global Learning and Development at McCann WorldGroup. For Joel,  this episode is one of his absolute favorites in 2023. Esther gets vulnerable and talks about a hard situation that made her cry for weeks as a special ed teacher in the Bronx, the impact of her faith in her professional life, why you should train empathy and kindness in your org (and how!), and much more.If you listen to any podcast this year, make it be this one.

Listen in to the HR powerhouse, Mike Catanzaro, Chief People Officer at CSC ServiceWorks. Mike reflects on several leadership lessons we can glean from Punxsutawney Phil (yes, the groundhog), the core trait he seeks in a CEO, the impact of being vulnerable with employees about his mental health challenges, and much more.

Jeff Belloli, VP of Human Resources for AEG Presents (one of the largest live music companies in the world) shares his story and unique pivot from pro tennis to HR, how his background in professional athletics differentiates him in his field, the power of meditation that you just might want to try yourself, and much more.

Joel interviews the man, the myth, the retail legend Wes Dudley. Wes is the VP of Customer Experience at Broad River Retail, which owns and operates Ashley HomeStores throughout the Carolinas and Georgia. Wes talks about his take on mentorship, what being a Memory Maker means at Broad River and how that defines the jobs of his employees, the future role of AI for furniture retailers, the most important leadership trait, and much more.

James Cope is the principle consultant for Phillips Consulting Group. In this podcast, James talks about how “people” are his North Star, the difference makers in manufacturing; he challenges us to consider how financial accounting falls short of treating employees as people, how to create the right environment to truly unlock employee potential, how when you treat people as people good things happen, and much more.

Chris Malone in an award-winning author, speaker, thought-leader, strategic adviser and C-level growth executive with experience serving multiple Fortune 500 companies. In this episode, Chris unveils the solutions to the time pressures faced by short staffed healthcare providers, the cost of focusing too much on efficiency, an incredible story of Starbucks workers that will warm you heart, how the key to happiness is serving others, and much more.

Joel has a delightful chat with John Garrett, the Catalyst For Culture Change, comedian, award winning author, podcast host, and keynote speaker. Garrett discusses how he helps organizations bring out the human behind the job title, how to authentically connect with your employees, the power of show and tell at work, the untapped potential of your employees that you're ignoring, and how to love your team in transformational ways. You'll be personally challenged to reflect on who you are, how to truly become the best leader you can be, and how to focus on the things that matter most. You won't want to miss this one.

In this incredibly insightful episode, Joel speaks with Daryl Travis, Founder and CEO at Brandtrust, a brand consultancy offering a more human way to build brands and create meaningful change. Daryl explains why humans don't really know what they want and how that influences buying behavior and employee experience, why we all  keep our Apple device packaging stuffed in drawers, creating brands vs. creating bonds, and much more.

During this heartfelt conversation, Joel talks with Scott Schultz. He's a speaker, executive coach, and facilitator who empowers people to unlock and architect their impact. Scott discusses emotional intelligence and it's importance for leaders, the huge problem with negative self talk, identifying your core values and truly living them out, and a story he's never shared before about why he's so passionate about impacting homelessness. If you've been curious about emotional intelligence and why it's important, this episode is for you.

Joel has an impactful conversation with Troy Morrison, President of North Texas Bells, a 2200 employee quick service restaurant company based in Texas, a big company with a small company feel. Troy shares about his move to franchise owner at 47 years old, his passion for helping people help themselves, the importance of a purpose driven life and what his purpose is, the two principles on which he built his business, and much more. 

Joel has a vulnerable discussion with Gary Magenta, Chief Pot Stirrer at The Magenta Mix, where Gary helps leaders and organizations "cut through the BS", get real, and redefine what success looks like for leaders, teams, and customers. Gary talks about  why leaders should talk what they suck at with their teams, how to build trust quickly, the epidemic of imposter syndrome in leadership, the advice that gave him goosebumps, and much more.