Podcasts about People First

Today's episode of ID The Future comes from our sister podcast Mind Matters News, a production of Discovery Institute's Walter Bradley Center for Natural and Artificial Intelligence. Mind Matters regularly explores the nature of intelligence, the origin of information, and the things that make us uniquely human, all concepts that are central to the theory of intelligent design. Enjoy today's offering of Mind Matters News! How can entrepreneurs incorporate the benefits of AI while maintaining their dedication to serving fellow human beings? On this episode of Mind Matters News, host Robert J. Marks welcomes David Copps, a renowned entrepreneur, technologist, and thought leader with over two decades of experience pioneering advancements in artificial intelligence and other emerging technologies. Source

Lindsey Patrick-Wright is a longtime public servant, community advocate, and mom running for Tennessee State Senate District 17. A Tennessean since age 14, Lindsey spent 20 years serving communities across the state through her work in public libraries, including Nashville's Southeast region. She has a long record of advocating for public education, libraries, responsible growth, and strong local communities.Now, Lindsey is challenging 15-year Republican incumbent Mark Pody to bring a new voice and a different kind of leadership to Nashville and flipping Nashville's only remaining Republican-held state seat—in a race focused on making Tennessee more affordable, investing in public schools and infrastructure, and putting the needs of working families and communities ahead of political agendas. Her campaign is guided by a simple commitment: Public Dollars. Public Priorities. People First.

What does it take to build a workplace where people feel valued, and what can healthcare leaders learn from an industry outside their own? On this episode of the Medical Alley Podcast, we sit down with Barry Stoffel, President of Gardner Builders, to explore how a people-first culture can shape everything from employee experience and retention, to the spaces where we work and receive care. Barry shares how Gardner Builders has challenged long-standing practices in the construction industry, why hospitality and empathy are central to the company's approach, and how seemingly small changes can have an outsized impact on people. Send us a message! Follow Medical Alley on social media on LinkedIn, Facebook, X and Instagram. 

Herzschrittmacher, Zahnimplantate, OP-Roboter oder Diagnose-Software: Kaum eine Branche greift so tief in unser Leben ein – und kaum ein Markt ist so streng reguliert wie die Medizintechnik. Allein in Europa müssen Hersteller Hunderte von sich ständig ändernden Regelwerken befolgen, um ihre Produkte auf den Markt zu bringen und dort zu halten. In dieser Folge von Digitale Vorreiter:innen spricht Host Christoph Burseg mit Markus Müller, Co-Founder von Flinn AI. Markus hat es sich mit seinem Team zur Aufgabe gemacht, das „AWS für die Medizintechnik“ zu bauen. Mit spezialisierten KI-Lösungen hilft das Wiener Start-up Herstellern dabei, komplexe Compliance-Prozesse, Literaturanalysen und Beschwerdemanagement drastisch zu vereinfachen und zu automatisieren. In dieser Episode erfährst du: People First & Shared Purpose: Warum Markus zuerst das ideale Gründer-Team zusammengestellt hat, bevor er überhaupt die Geschäftsidee definierte Die Hürden der MedTech-Regulatorik: Warum europäische Vorgaben für Hersteller extrem komplex sind KI als Compliance-Booster: Wie Flinn AI medizinische Studien und Gesetzestexte analysiert und wo KI den Menschen überlegen ist Validieren ohne zu bauen: Wie das Team die erste Finanzierungsrunde mit Klick-Prototypen und Absichtserklärungen abschloss – und warum der Bau eines Produkts oft der teuerste Weg ist, eine Idee zu testen US-Expansion & Enterprise-Fokus: Warum sich Flinn AI bewusst auf die größten MedTech-Konzerne der Welt konzentriert und welche Unterschiede zwischen dem europäischen und dem US-Markt bestehen

Bob Funk Jr. serves as president of Express Employment International, promoted to the role in March 2025 after decades with the company. He began his career with Express Employment Professionals at the franchise level in 1996 and joined Express International in 2013. Top 3 Value Bombs 1. Sustainable growth comes from a people-first culture built on integrity, teamwork, and consistency. 2. Companies that prioritize employee experience and transparency attract and retain top talent. 3. Build resilience by diversifying clients, automating processes, and focusing on relationships and growth. Check out Bob's website to learn more about staffing and workforce consulting services - Express Employment Professionals Sponsors HighLevel - The ultimate all-in-one platform for entrepreneurs, marketers, coaches, and agencies. Learn more at HighLevelFire.com. Fitnexa - If better sleep is a priority for you, Fitnexa helps you create the environment and routine to make it happen. Visit Fitnexa.com and use code EOFIRE10 to save 10 dollars on SomniPods 3 today. Waldo - Put idle cash to work through a high-yield treasury account. Visit Waldo.ai and start putting your cash to work like big companies do. Use code EOFire when you sign up and receive a 1 percent deposit match, up to 1,000 dollars. See full terms and conditions at Waldo.ai.

Ce vendredi 11 septembre, la note de conjoncture de l'Insee sur l'économie française, notamment le décrochage de la France, a été abordée par Agnès Verdier-Molinié, directrice de la fondation IFRAP, Denis Payre, président de Nature & People First, et Jean-Marc Vittori, éditorialiste aux Echos, dans l'émission Les Experts, présentée par Laure Closier sur BFM Business. Retrouvez l'émission du lundi au vendredi et réécoutez la en podcast.

Ce vendredi 11 septembre, Laure Closier a reçu Jean-Marc Vittori, éditorialiste aux Echos, Agnès Verdier-Molinié, directrice de la Fondation iFRAP, et Denis Payre, président de Nature & People First, dans l'émission Les Experts sur BFM Business. Retrouvez l'émission du lundi au vendredi et réécoutez la en podcast.

Ce vendredi 11 septembre, l'espoir de baisser les dépenses, la nécessité de réduire les effectifs des fonctionnaires, l'alerte de l'INSEE sur le décrochage de la France, et les hausses de taux de la BCE, ont été abordés par Jean-Marc Vittori, éditorialiste aux Echos, Agnès Verdier-Molinié, directrice de la Fondation iFRAP, et Denis Payre, président de Nature & People First, dans l'émission Les Experts, présentée par Laure Closier sur BFM Business. Retrouvez l'émission du lundi au vendredi et réécoutez la en podcast.

What does it truly mean to lead with purpose? In this episode of The Greatness Machine, Darius sits down with Howard Behar, former President of Starbucks International and a servant leadership icon. Howard shares invaluable lessons on authenticity, vulnerability, and the importance of putting people first. From navigating insecurities to building a personal mission statement, Howard's insights offer a masterclass in leading with integrity. Discover why patience pays, why persistence matters, and how to align your purpose with your passion. Plus, hear his perspective on long-term thinking in business and the impact of shareholder-driven decision-making. In this episode, Darius and Howard will discuss: (00:00) Introduction to Howard Behar (02:16) Howard's Immigrant Roots and Early Influences (06:54) Transitioning to Starbucks: The Journey Begins (10:32) Navigating Exponential Growth at Starbucks (16:59) Leadership and Building a Strong Team (21:30) People-Centric Philosophy at Starbucks (24:51) Partnership Dynamics with Howard Schultz (28:12) The Essence of Servant Leadership (31:23) Navigating Economic Challenges (34:02) The Impact of Public Markets (39:36) Qualities of Great Leaders (41:34) Lessons from Experience Howard Behar is a renowned business leader, author, speaker, and mentor, celebrated for his servant leadership philosophy. As the former President of Starbucks North America and founding President of Starbucks International, he played a pivotal role in the company's growth from 28 stores to over 15,000 across five continents. Howard's leadership principles, like “The Person Who Sweeps the Floor Should Choose the Broom,” continue to inspire leaders globally. He currently serves on several corporate and nonprofit boards and is the author of It's Not About the Coffee: Lessons on Leadership from a Life at Starbucks. Connect with Howard: Website: http://howardbehar.com/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/howard-behar-24ba274/ Twitter: https://x.com/NotAboutCoffee  Email: hb@howardbehar.com Contact: 206-9727-776 Connect with Darius: Website: https://therealdarius.com/ Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dariusmirshahzadeh/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/imthedarius/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@Thegreatnessmachine  Book: The Core Value Equation https://www.amazon.com/Core-Value-Equation-Framework-Limitless/dp/1544506708 Write a review for The Greatness Machine using this link: https://ratethispodcast.com/spreadinggreatness. 

Most leaders say people matter—but that commitment gets tested when growth, performance, accountability, and opportunity are on the line. In this episode, Ambriza Social Mexican Kitchen cofounder and CEO Julio Garcia joins David Ashcraft to explore what people-first leadership looks like in practice. Julio shares how his own understanding of leadership shifted from status and entitlement toward responsibility and service, and how that change now shapes Ambriza's culture. He explains why leaders need to know the people behind the roles, how the company develops employees toward greater responsibility and even ownership, and why caring for people still requires clear standards. The conversation also examines a harder question: What happens when you invest deeply in someone—and that growth eventually takes them somewhere else? Julio offers a practical picture of leadership that measures success not only by organizational growth, but by what becomes possible for the people you lead.

In this episode of Atlanta Business Radio, Lee Kantor speaks with Michelle Ehler, Head of U.S. Talent at UCB, about how a strong purpose-driven culture can attract, develop, and retain exceptional talent. Michelle shares how UCB's commitment to improving the lives of patients shapes its hiring practices, employee development, and workplace culture. She also discusses […]

Tugboat Institute® member Cody Nath, CEO of Refined Technologies, Inc. (RTI) delivers a moving testament to the necessity of knowing and leading the whole person. In this Tugboat Institute talk, Cody shares the heartbreaking story of a beloved colleague, Barry, whose tragic loss catalyzed a fundamental shift in how RTI approaches People First leadership. Recognizing that workplace skills alone cannot sustain a healthy culture, Cody describes the creation of Imprint, a unique leadership development cohort that integrates "The Whole You" framework with immersive wilderness experiences.    By stepping away from the office and into the vulnerability of the outdoors and campfire circle, RTI leaders forge deep emotional connections through personal storytelling, resulting in a high retention rate and an internal network of connected, cultural ambassadors. Cody honors Barry's legacy by challenging fellow leaders to move beyond professional metrics and embody wholeness, and creating their version of Impact that uniquely fits their own Evergreen® company.

This episode is brought to you by iTnews Executive Retreats, a new iTnews event series designed to provide senior technology executives from end user organisations with the space to connect, reflect and share insights with their peers in an environment removed from daily pressures.Our next retreat is for security leaders, September 17-18 in the NSW Hunter Valley. Follow the link here: https://pages.itnews.com.au/nsw-executive-security-retreat-8b772862-1dfb-46d6-9599-1b9c41f5db2 or visit itnews.com.au to register your interest.Thanks to Dicker Data and Microsoft, Quorum Systems, Oreta, Tecala and MicrotechDPS for sponsoring the retreat.~~~Hello and welcome to the iTnews PodcastOur guest this fortnight is Andy Weir, the Chief Technology and Transformation officer at People First Bank.People First Bank is nearing completion of its fully modernised technology stack, after forming from the combination of People's Choice and Heritage Bank in mid-2023.The new technology stack should be fully implemented towards the end of 2027. Andy walks us through the origins of the transformation, the key components of the stack, and what it means from an operational and front-facing customer experience.But we begin with Andy describing his joint technology and transformation remit, how this has evolved and how he balances these two key areas.

In this episode, Rhiannon Doherty, DHA, APRN, Director of Usability and Clinical Optimization at Baptist Health, shares how human-centered design, change management and frontline engagement helped drive adoption during a major EHR communication transition. Moderated by Stephanie Lahr, MD, Chief Medical Officer at uPerform, the conversation explores turning resistance into insight and putting users first.This episode is sponsored by uPerform.

In Episode 205, Phil and Paul wrap up Season 14's The People Advantage series with Episode 10—the finale. Ten episodes in, they bring it all together around one core idea: alignment beats talent, every single time. Equal talent, or even a talent disadvantage, doesn't matter if your team is aligned and the other one isn't. What happens off the field always shows up on it. And since everyone stops playing the sport eventually, the real question is what lessons are actually being built into the people playing it. Phil and Paul close out the series with stories from turning around losing programs, why "safe to serve" beats "scared to survive," and why the bench matters just as much as the starting eleven. ⸻ Specifically, they discuss: Alignment Beats Talent  A program with a baseline of talent but total belief in each other can outperform teams with far more talent and no cohesion. Culture built early in a rebuild is what makes the difference years later. People First, Players Second  Identity can't be wrapped up in being a player—because coaches who only coach the player miss the person. Teams that are aligned on coaching the whole person get better performance as a byproduct. Safe to Serve, Not Scared to Survive  A team full of people who know their identity plays free instead of tense. When everyone is serving each other instead of protecting themselves, nobody is playing out of position or holding back. Role Clarity Creates Buy-In—Even on the Bench  Bench players may not like their role, but clear communication about what that role requires—and what it takes to change it—creates real buy-in instead of resentment. From Rivalry to Advocacy  A story about two teammates—one starting, one on the bench—who built a real relationship once the bench player learned what the starter was quietly struggling with. Vulnerability turned a rivalry into genuine support. Culture of Vulnerability  None of this works without walls coming down first. A team that creates space for people to be known—not just to perform—builds relationships that make everyone better. Talent Doesn't Equal Alignment  Even the most talented teams can implode without alignment. Talent gets you attention; alignment gets you results. ⸻ Key Takeaway Team alignment will beat talent every single time. It's built through people-first coaching, role clarity for every player (not just the starters), and a culture where vulnerability and service replace fear and self-protection. The lessons carry far beyond the field—these are the same things that make someone a better parent, spouse, coach, and leader long after the game is over. ⸻ This wraps Season 14's The People Advantage series. If it's resonated with you, go back through the full series with your coaching staff, your team, or your family—and share how it's shown up in your own leadership. Phil and Paul want to hear it, and it'll help shape what comes next. You can also connect with Phil through Darke Leadership Group to learn how DISC training, team alignment, and communication strategies help organizations build the kind of culture that outperforms talent alone. Resources and Links from this Episode ·                 Uncut Video of the Episode ·                 Darke Leadership Group (Team Alignment/DISC Behavioral Training/Coaching) ·                 Warrior Way Soccer

The Full Circle Leader offers a daily dose of leadership focused on helping you, the leader. During challenging times we need all of the encouragement we can get. Sometimes there's simply no playbook and we just need to do the best we can. Sometimes the best we can is being reminded of the gifts and insight you already have within.Order Nick Reich's book Every Player is Bigger Than the Program here.Be sure to subscribe and get your daily dose.Subscribe in Apple Podcastshttps://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-full-circle-leader/id1468460670Subscribe in Spotifyhttps://open.spotify.com/show/4xU1c5ncX5Vuukohwhps34About Andrea ButcherAndrea Butcher is a visionary business leader, executive coach, and keynote speaker—she empowers leaders to gain clarity through the chaos by being MORE of who they already are. Her experiences—serving as CEO, leading at an executive level, and working in and leading global teams—make her uniquely qualified to support leadership and business success. She hosts the popular leadership podcast, Being [at Work] with a global audience of over 600,000 listeners and is the author of The Power in the Pivot (Red Thread Publishing 2022) and HR Kit for Dummies (Wiley 2023).Connect with Andreahttps://www.abundantempowerment.com/LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/leaderdevelopmentcoach/Abundant Empowerment Upcoming Eventshttps://www.abundantempowerment.com/events

Sequoya Borgman is the Founder and CEO of Borgman Capital, a private equity firm focused on acquiring and growing lower middle-market businesses across the United States. Since founding the firm in 2017, Sequoya has led investments in more than 20 companies and built a network of over 500 accredited investors. With over two decades of mergers and acquisitions experience, including leadership roles at RSM US LLP and KPMG LLP, Sequoya brings expertise in deal structuring, due diligence, and value creation. His investment philosophy emphasizes trust, long-term value creation, and preserving the legacies of the business owners he partners with. In this episode… Building a successful investment firm takes more than financial expertise — it requires resilience, calculated risk-taking, and the ability to keep moving when deals fall apart. But what happens when years of preparation lead to a major setback just as an entrepreneurial dream is beginning? For Sequoya Borgman, a private equity leader with more than two decades of mergers and acquisitions experience, resilience, relationships, and a strong work ethic are essential to turning setbacks into opportunities. He highlights how lessons from a humble upbringing shaped his approach to risk, persistence, and business. When his first planned acquisition collapsed at the last minute, he relied on relationships and persistence to secure an even better opportunity. These experiences ultimately shaped his thoughtful approach to deal-making, company growth, and long-term partnerships with business owners. He also emphasizes the importance of trust, careful evaluation, and adapting to changing market conditions. In this episode of the Inspired Insider Podcast, host Dr. Jeremy Weisz sits down with Sequoya Borgman, Founder and CEO of Borgman Capital, to discuss building a resilient private equity firm. They explore turning failed deals into opportunities, evaluating businesses, and building lasting relationships with owners and investors. Sequoya also shares lessons from navigating COVID-19, changing valuations, and successful exits.

Send us Fan MailIn this episode, Amy Lafko, the leader in people management, returns to the Private Practice Survival Guide podcast to tackle the often-challenging topic of difficult conversations. She provides invaluable insights into addressing performance issues while strengthening workplace relationships. Amy shares her unique framework for transforming conflict into an opportunity for connection, emphasizing the power of mindset, genuine curiosity, and active listening. Discover how to move beyond transactional interactions to foster an environment of growth and mutual understanding. This discussion is a must-listen for leaders and managers looking to navigate tough talks with confidence and build more resilient teams. Learn strategies for effective feedback, understanding employee transitions, and the importance of transparent communication in performance management.What You'll Learn:How to reframe conflict as an opportunity to build relationships.The importance of genuine curiosity and asking powerful open-ended questions.Utilizing the 'E+R=O' framework for clear communication and desired outcomes.Strategies to challenge automatic negative thoughts and assumptions.The distinction between coaching and termination, and how to approach each.Why transparent communication and clear expectations are crucial for performance management.Common mistakes leaders make when giving feedback and how to avoid them.The 'people-first' approach to performance discussions, focusing on shared goals and solutions.Join us as Amy Lafko shares her expertise on fostering productive and respectful workplace dialogues.#DifficultConversations #LeadershipSkills #PerformanceManagement #WorkplaceCommunication #AmyLafkoAmy Lafko is a leadership and organizational design expert, mainstage speaker, author, and facilitator. Known for her “People First” method, she brings a step-by-step process to put employee engagement and empowerment into practice. Having spent 20+ years in healthcare leadership roles, her work is inspired by her personal transformation as a leader. That inspiration and her energy is multiplied every time she assists someone with their own shift in mindset and intentions.Her book, People First: A Proven Method for an Exceptional Healthcare Practice was an Amazon bestselling new release. In addition to founding Cairn Consulting Solutions, LLC and being certified in TTI Success Insights DISC, Driving Forces and Emotional Intelligence, Amy has earned her MSPT from Ithaca College, her MBA from Loyola University of MD.https://cairncs.com/https://www.facebook.com/amy.lafko1https://www.instagram.com/amy.lafko/https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCd9wuEYF1vSuoD57cq-I57wWelcome to Private Practice Survival Guide Podcast hosted by Brandon Seigel! Brandon Seigel, President of Wellness Works Management Partners, is an internationally known private practice consultant with over fifteen years of executive leadership experience. Seigel's book "The Private Practice Survival Guide" takes private practice entrepreneurs on a journey to unlocking key strategies for surviving―and thriving―in today's business environment. Now Brandon Seigel goes beyond the book and brings the same great tips, tricks, and anecdotes to improve your private practice in this companion podcast. Get In Touch With MePodcast Website: https://www.privatepracticesurvivalguide.com/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brandonseigel/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/brandonseigel/https://wellnessworksmedicalbilling.com/Private Practice Survival Guide BookThis show is proudly produced at PS Studios — learn more https://www.psstudios.co

(Originally Released: March 27, 2022)In this episode of Relationships at Work, Russel chat withs author and consultant Annette Franz, on company culture and how to put people-first in your organization to keep them engaged (and some of the red flags you might be going the wrong way).Annette shares her experience and from her new book BUILT TO WIN...What organizations don't understand about cultureHow corporate and personal values fit to build cultureHow you can check-in on how your culture is progressing (or not)Red flags and mistakes to a broken cultureHow outside-in, inside-in decision making can be impactful (for good and bad)And connect with me for more great content!Sign Up for R@W Notes Subscribe on YoutubeFollow on LinkedinFollow on InstagramFollow me on ThreadsFollow on TikTokEmail me anytime 

When is the right time to let go? Beth Dermer is an occupational therapist and founder of DOTS Allied Health. She also built and scaled Squish Kids Occupational Therapy, a business she recently sold after pouring into it for 15 years. In this episode, Cathy and Beth unpack the realities behind that journey. From learning how to delegate and building systems that work without you, to finding the right people and navigating the surprisingly demanding process of selling a business. But the conversation goes well beyond business mechanics. Beth shares her deep commitment to clinical supervision, supporting new and recent graduates and protecting the joy of the profession. She reflects on the increasing commercialisation of Allied Health, workforce burnout and why business owners need to keep people and quality service at the centre of what they build. Beth talks candidly about the strange process of stepping away, recognising the impact made along the way and turning her attention to what comes next. Topics covered on people-first leadership, business transition and workforce sustainability: People-first leadershipThe strongest Allied Health businesses start with the right people, meaningful work, and a team that genuinely enjoys being there. Building a business that works without youThe systems, delegation and people management lessons Beth learned while growing two businesses, plus what surprised her about preparing and selling Squish Kids. Protecting the Allied Health workforceBeth shares her concerns about burnout, high KPIs and commercialisation, and why quality supervision and support will be critical as the sector continues to change. P.S. If this episode is hitting on pain points you're facing, let's chat. We can support you. Book a 20-minute complimentary call with us, and let's talk about how we can help you achieve your vision for your Allied Health business. Midroll Message: Join us as a podcast guest by emailing podcast@nacre.com.au Connect with Nacre Consulting: Let's connect on Instagram Follow us on Facebook Let's connect on LinkedIn Join our Facebook Group online community More about The Allied Health Business Brilliance Podcast: The Allied Health Business Brilliance podcast (previously known as Private Practice Made Perfect) powered by Nacre Consulting features authentic conversations that offer real-life stories and expert perspectives for Australian Allied Health Business Owners. Cathy Love, our engaging host, gathers wisdom from Allied Health professionals and industry supporters alike. We dive into the real experiences of running and growing Allied Health businesses in Australia, revealing both the rewards and the inevitable challenges along the way. It's raw, sometimes vulnerable, but always valuable. Join us and stay tuned to keep up with every inspiring story and lesson shared.

Mike Sullivan, Co-Founder & Chief Growth Officer at OneDigital and Vinay Gidwaney, Chief Product Officer also at OneDigital joins Enterprise Radio. They are co-authors … Read more The post Workforce Intelligence: The People-First Playbook for Leading Your Company Through AI Transformation appeared first on Top Entrepreneurs Podcast | Enterprise Podcast Network.

How do you lead well in a world transformed by AI? This week, Do Good to Lead Well tackles this question head-on, as I speak with Mike Sullivan, co-founder and Chief Growth Officer of OneDigital, and the co-author of the timely and insightful book, Workforce Intelligence. Throughout our conversation, Mike breaks through both the hype and the fear surrounding AI in today's workforce. As a champion of people-centered AI, he offers an inspiring roadmap for activating, not replacing, the human workforce.Listeners are invited into the story of “Ben,” a digital coworker, and how Mike and his team treat AI onboarding like hiring a real employee: with transparency, development, and high expectations. The result? A culture where humans and digital agents collaborate, learn, and continuously improve together. We also discuss how workforce intelligence is being redefined and how high-performing teams are built not on software alone, but on empathy, transparency, and courage.For leaders and organizations seeking practical strategies, this episode brims with actionable advice, from measuring workforce intelligence to ensuring HR has a seat at the AI table. It's a compelling argument for seeing the faces behind the headcount, and for cultivating trust as the cornerstone of 21st-century leadership.What You'll Learn- Start with honesty, not hype when it comes to AI.- Don't treat AI as ‘software': Treat it like a coworker.- Transparent roles & faces build trust.- What is your Workforce Intelligence (WI) score? The success metric.- Activation moments matter.- Top-down Is the only way forward.- People Always Come First.- It's not either/or. It's Human Intelligence (HI) + Artificial Intelligence (AI). Podcast Timestamps(00:00) – Personal Fear and the Human Side of AI(06:02) – No Code? No Problem – Mike's Personal AI Journey(10:05) – The Human Side of AI Deployment(12:29) – Hiring AI Coworkers: Internship to Full-Time(16:33) – Managing a Blended Human-AI Workforce(21:54) – HR's Role and Navigating Workforce Change(26:29) – Defining Workforce Intelligence and the WI Score(30:58) – Overcoming Employee Fears and Building Trust(37:43) – Leadership Activation and Empathy in the Age of AI(53:00) – Final Reflections and The Humanity TestKEYWORDSPositive Leadership, AI, Artificial Intelligence, AI Transformation, Workplace Intelligence, People-First Leadership, Human-Centric Organizations, AI Adoption, Digital Coworkers, Organizational Change, Employment Disruption, Job Automation, Human Resources (HR), Talent Management, Growth Mindset, Trust in Leadership, Empathy in Business, AI Onboarding, Blended Workforce, WI score, Transparency in AI, Disruption, Future of Work, Human-AI Collaboration, Managing AI Anxiety, CEO Success

Today I'm so excited to have one of my biggest mentors, Laylee Emadi on the podcast! Laylee is the founder of The Creative Educator Conference and The Educator's Lounge, a community for business owners that are educating others and are committed to serving their audiences with heart & passion. In this episode, we chat about how she transitioned from photographer to educator, how she created one of the BEST conferences in the industry, and how she regularly breaks industry norms by putting people before profit. Here are some of the highlights:You don't have to build your dream all at once. Take the next logical step, learn from it, and iterate.Slow doesn't mean behind. A slower path can produce a stronger, more sustainable business.Your business should serve you, too. You're allowed to prioritize your own life, joy, relationships, and wellbeing.Build around your actual capacity. Don't design a business that only works when everything in your life is going perfectly.Not everything is urgent. During hard seasons, identify what truly has to happen and let everything else wait.Know how you work best. There's no single "right" way to launch, sell, schedule, or run a business.Boundaries create freedom. Protecting personal time first gives you a clearer picture of what business opportunities you actually have capacity for.Confidence comes from reps. Visibility gets easier when you practice it consistently, especially with supportive community around you.Your values can be your business strategy. Decisions don't always have to maximize revenue or growth; they can maximize sustainability, integrity, joy, and peace.Community may be the most valuable thing you build. Laylee ultimately says she's most proud not of the conference or her business itself, but of the community she's cultivated. Follow Laylee on InstagramJoin The Educator's LoungeAttend the Creative Educator Conference-Follow Christi on InstagramJoin The Dream Biz PlaygroundVisit Christi's Website

This episode of National Disability Radio highlights a recent disability rights victory in Colorado, where advocates successfully worked to repeal a law that permitted the forced sterilization of people with disabilities. One of our very own P&As, Disability Justice in Colorado, was instrumental in making this happen! Hear from policy leaders and self-advocates behind the effort as they discuss coalition-building, and why disability rights progress depends on keeping people with disabilities at the center of the conversation. **NOTE** Disability Law Colorado has recently rebranded to Disability Justice! Check out their new messaging and branding on the web and across their socials: Disability Justice's Website: https://disabilityjustice.co/ Disability Justice's Social Media Channels Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/disabilityjustice Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/disabilityjusticeco/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@disabilityjusticeCO The Arc of Colorado's Website: https://www.thearcofco.org/ The Arc of Colorado's Social Media Channels: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheArcofColorado Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/arcofcolorado/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-arc-of-colorado/ X (Twitter): https://x.com/thearcofco YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TheArcofColorado The Arc of the United States' Website: https://thearc.org/ The Arc of the United States' Social Media Channels Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thearcus/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thearc_us/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/thearcus/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@thearc_us Transcript: Michelle Bishop: Okay. Sorry, sorry. I can get serious. We can do this. Wait, are we recording? Alden Blevins: Yes. Michelle Bishop: Oh, okay. Stephanie Flynt McEben: Well, there's our cold open. Here we go. Michelle Bishop: Hi everyone, and welcome back to National Disability Radio, the official podcast of the National Disability Rights Network, where we share with you stories and conversations that advance the rights, voices, and leadership of people with [00:00:30] disabilities. I'm Michelle Bishop, one of your co-hosts, and today we are really excited to be joined by some of our own, two folks we were able to connect with through our own network of organizations across the US. We're going to be talking with Disability Law Colorado about some of the recent amazing advocacy work that they've been doing. But before we do that, I'm going to kick it to my co-hosts. Stephanie Flynt McEben: That's right. Hey, everybody. Stephanie Flynt McEben, public policy analyst with the National Disability Rights Network and two-thirds of [00:01:00] your podcast hosting team. But yeah, wanted to kick it off to our wonderful guests. Jack Johnson: Sure. Yeah, thank you for having me. So I'm Jack Johnson. I work at Disability Law Colorado as our public policy liaison, the one and only, so I'm a team of one here in Colorado, but am joined by a lot of great advocates in our network through our community partners, as well as all of the people that work at Disability Law Colorado who bring their lived experience to our policy [00:01:30] work and their expertise in their specific areas that they work in every day. And here in Colorado, we have a very busy legislative session and a very active legislature, which means we get to do a lot of fun work. And I get to work with Molly all the time, which I'm really grateful for, and I can pass it over to her. Molly Kirkham: Perfect. Well, yeah, thank you all. I'm Molly. I work for the Arc of Colorado as a legislative policy advocate, which basically means I get to talk to senators, [00:02:00] representatives, about bills and issues that matter to individual with disabilities. And aside from that, I'm also past president of SFO and vice president of Speaking for Ourself Colorado and People First. Speaking for Ourselves is a statewide group and People First is local. And I've always been connected to disabilities. Stephanie Flynt McEben: Awesome. Thank you so much, Molly. I'm going to pass on to Alden. Alden Blevins: [00:02:30] Yeah, I was just going to say I'm so glad that you're both here today. I think this type of legislative advocacy work is so important. I used to work at a P&A myself in Virginia, and back when I was doing their communications and kind of stressing the importance of the work, I kept coming back to the key phrase that changing laws can change lives. And I think that work like you guys have done on this bill that we're going to talk about today is something that could maybe be a blueprint for other P&As across the United States as they struggle with similar things [00:03:00] in their legislatures. So thank you so much for being here with us today. Michelle Bishop: Yes, we're excited to talk about this, especially anytime we get a chance to highlight some of the incredible work that's being done in our own network. That's our favorite thing to do. So first things first, let's get into it. For any of our listeners who might be unfamiliar, the big news is that Disability Law Colorado worked with their state legislature to get a new law passed that would end forced sterilization policies that are on the books. [00:03:30] Can you talk a little bit about what the law allowed and how long it was essentially on the books? Jack Johnson: Sure. Yeah. So as a little bit of a background, lots of states around the country have these laws. I think maybe a dozen or so have repealed them. Colorado now joins that list, but over 30 states still have these laws on the books, and it's unclear [00:04:00] how many states use them still. But the fact that they exist even here in Colorado has been a problem for us and something we've tried to solve. And so what the law did is it created a specific pathway for a court to order the sterilization of a person who has an intellectual or developmental disability over their objection. It was actually passed not that long ago, around the same time that the ADA was passed in the '90s and early 2000s, and amended [00:04:30] through that decade. But the reason it was passed is because before this, courts were just doing it, and it goes all the way back to our state hospital and practices of eugenics back in the 1920s all the way through to the end of the 1900s where there was different courts doing different things, but not a legal due process pathway. And so when it was passed, it was supposed to be more progressive by adding [00:05:00] due process protections and adding things to the law that would prevent these sterilizations from happening without judicial intervention or without clear judicial direction. However, here we are in 2026 and the consensus is pretty clear that one's progressive policy now is very regressive because it still through statute authorizes eugenics-level sterilization for people over their objection. Alden Blevins: Yeah. It's wild [00:05:30] to think that it was passed that recently to me. And you kind of delved into this a little bit with your answer, but I mentioned earlier, I'm a woman with autism and I'm personally all too familiar with the rich history of eugenics that is unfortunately a part of America's story. So I just wanted to ask, how do you see this connecting to the broader history of how people with disabilities are treated in the United States? I know I have my own answer, but I wanted to see if you had any thoughts. Jack Johnson: Yeah, I [00:06:00] mean it's very interesting. This is the year 2026. Buck v. Bell was passed in 1927, so we're coming up on the hundredth anniversary of that Supreme Court decision and the decision that still could theoretically be used as precedence in future cases. And after a hundred years of advocacy, we have other protective laws like the ADA and other things, but [00:06:30] this is the last final piece, I think, in terms of our legal protections that needs to come into place. And it's a really problematic history, especially here in our specific state, in Colorado, where we have a single state hospital, which used to be a large institutional setting primarily for people who have intellectual or developmental disabilities or behavioral health disorders. It has since been transitioned in a way that is more clinically focused, but [00:07:00] the building itself remains and the practice itself remains at least a theoretical possibility in the law. We've been as an investigative unit, as the P&A, obviously active in protecting people's rights. And there hasn't been a recent case, at least in the last 10 years where we've had to challenge one of these proceedings. But in an era now where other areas of disability rights are actually regressing, and we're seeing policies passed [00:07:30] that move us backwards, we took the opportunity to take that last step forward to pass this law. Stephanie Flynt McEben: Thank you so much, Jack. I really appreciate it. In talking a little bit about, obviously we both know this as public policy folks, but a lot of factors and things can come into play when trying to get a bill passed, let alone a bill signed into law. And so I was wondering if you could [00:08:00] talk a little bit about any political barriers, cultural barrier, any types of barriers that you might've encountered when advancing this piece of legislation? Because I can't imagine, as we all know, policy does not happen overnight. And so I'm sure that this has been a long time coming given the nature of public policy as well in general. Jack Johnson: Yeah. We have been fortunate that the bill passed, I think unanimously or close to unanimously, [00:08:30] through the vote chambers and got almost 100 votes of the legislators, but it wasn't easy. I think we started this project actually over a year ago during the 2025 General Assembly. And because of a lot of barriers to how slow things move in politics, as well as some of the policy questions related to this topic, it took us over a year just to get our appropriate bill drafted with sponsors in place [00:09:00] to run the legislation. And even as the legislation passed, I think there were especially folks who unfortunately, I think, still have the policy in mind that some level of eugenics is acceptable to them, that there was some outreach to the legislators and to us that this was the wrong direction to take and it would lead [00:09:30] to negative outcomes for people, which is surprising given the year that we're in, but maybe not all that surprising given some of the other areas of disability rights where we're seeing policies go backwards. But in spite of that, I think we had people like Molly and other people speak for themself who have lived experience with a disability, who, given this law, could be sterilized over their objection. And so having them speak in both of our panels of public testimony [00:10:00] in the House and the Senate was really, really powerful to the legislators and I think helped convince them despite the outreach they were getting from other folks that this was the right policy to pass. Alden Blevins: Yeah, that leads us so nicely into the fact that I think having buy-in from the disability community is always helpful when it comes to the world of legislative advocacy, because ultimately people want to hear from their constituents. So that said, could you tell us a little bit more about how you [00:10:30] engaged advocates with disabilities to help support you guys? Or you said maybe they delivered some testimony when advancing this bill. Jack Johnson: Yeah, absolutely. So Colorado's legislative session I think is like most states in that we start in January and we go through the spring and we're time-limited to the middle of May, 120 days after we start. So that's kind of the cycle that we all work on to pass public policy objectives, which means that at the end of every May or the beginning of every June, [00:11:00] we meet as an organization, as a P&A, and we talk about what the next year's objectives are. And that includes from our survey that we put out into the community issues that people are facing, as well as barriers that our legal teams are seeing with laws that are not working appropriately or that need to be changed or repealed or protections added for people with disabilities. And from there, we spend most of the summer meeting with all of our community partners. So all [00:11:30] of the organizations that represent and advocate for people with disabilities and who interact in this world. We have community round tables and do one-on-one meetings where we present what we think our priorities are going to be for the next year. We get input from our community partners and we hear what they're working on and what we can support them on as a collective. And from that round table, we usually come away with both our legislative priorities, but also our team's legislative priorities. [00:12:00] So everyone else who works in the legislature, who advocates here, we understand what every organization's doing and how we can partner with each other and support each other, and then testify in support of each other's legislation. And so from those community meetings, there was a lot of excitement about this bill, and they're open to the public. So it's not just if you are a part of an organization, anyone with a disability is welcome to join. And we have email lists that people then can join onto if they want to learn about particular [00:12:30] pieces of legislation throughout the summer and the fall as we advance them. And when it comes time to testify, we just notify our partners and anyone on those email lists to come speak their voice. And we've been fortunate the last couple of years because of all this community-building that we've done, that when we run legislation or our partners run legislation, there's always great turnout in supporting the rights of people with disabilities. And especially here in Colorado, we have had great success the last three to five years [00:13:00] in really passing impactful legislation, and this is just another example of it. Michelle Bishop: Jack, just congrats to you and to everyone on the work that was done here. And I believe it when you say folks were excited about doing work on this bill, because the historical perspective is one of the things that's really interesting to me. When I talk to folks I know from outside disability rights world, I think this is one of those issues that people think is, "This is old, this is from the past. There's a problem that should be solved. [00:13:30] This is not an issue anymore." But it's not just Colorado. Antiquated laws like these seem to stay on the books. They stick around even when notions of how we approach disability have changed. And I'm wondering why you think laws like this seem to have such staying power even decades after society has, I'll say for the most part, rejected these kinds of ideas. Jack Johnson: Yeah, you're right. We see lots of laws, not just this one, that seem antiquated but still [00:14:00] remain on the books. And I think there's a lot of reasons why. The first reason is that many of these laws, it takes an act of a governing body to change the law, and legislators only have so much time in their day and so much effort to run legislation across all of their constituencies. And so taking time to pass a law that maybe seems antiquated and doesn't do anything requires people to step up and ask for it to be changed. [00:14:30] It requires us as the P&A to devote our resources to repealing it and our community partners to come testify and a legislator to spend 120 of their days in legislative session to advocate for its passage. And so the inertia of getting any law passed small or large is big. And when you think about all of the different areas of disability rights that need attention, all the legal protections that need added or all the systems that need improved or all the old laws that need repealed, [00:15:00] sometimes it takes a lot to get all of those resources into place to repeal a law that may be old. But also there is a lot of institutional power that we take back in disability rights. And so institutions, the governments or state or local governments, large institutions related to healthcare or economic institutions, even [00:15:30] laws that they potentially don't use anymore doesn't mean that they would accept us removing them, taking them off the books, because that's taking away some of their perceived power. And so when you're looking at a government and we're asking it to give us more rights, give people with disabilities more rights and take away some of the power they have over people with disabilities, even if it's not power that they currently use, there is sometimes that institutional [00:16:00] resistance to allowing that change to occur. And so between those two things, sometimes it's hard to find a sweet spot where you can actually get something passed. Alden Blevins: Yeah, I think resistance to change is just something that we struggle with in general, but especially when it comes to those larger systems that you spoke so well about, it can really be hard to just change people's minds about the way something has always been done or the way [00:16:30] something has always been framed. Stephanie Flynt McEben: Oh, 1000%. Just talking about that, I think one of the things that really helps in terms of changing minds is really spotlighting the lived experiences of individuals with disabilities. And so with that, I do want to pivot our next question over to Molly. So Molly, I know that you have your own lived experience with disability, and I know that this topic is an incredibly heavy topic, [00:17:00] especially throughout the disability community. Do you remember how you felt when you first realized or learned about that a law like this was a thing or existed? Molly Kirkham: Yeah, I definitely can. For me, my first reaction I think was shock. Kind of like what you guys and Jack said, it's 2026, and I was shocked to hear that it's still happening and that it hasn't been. [00:17:30] Yeah, it's more of shock of, wow, we have so much progressed in thinking and how we value people with disabilities in the community, but it's still shocking to think that there's still stuff like for sterilization and that's still happening. And so to me, it's shock. And also that it's time that we address this. So, for real, shock and almost, not frustration, but just like, wow, how? And [00:18:00] almost like, yeah, because I wouldn't think that was still going on. So that shock of being like, okay, this is still happening, for me, I think it's more just [inaudible 00:18:16] 2026 and this is still going on. And I think that's how probably a lot of people feel, is the unknown too. It's like you don't know that's going on. So when you hear it, you're like, "Okay, let's do something about this." Stephanie Flynt McEben: Yeah, absolutely. And [00:18:30] I think that you hit a major point on the head, is a lot of people don't know what they don't know. And so I think that's a really huge point that hitting on is so important. And I definitely agree. It's 2026. You wouldn't think that laws like this would exist, or at least the average everyday person wouldn't think so, but you pull behind the curtain and this is what you see. I know that Alden has some lived experience that maybe she may be able to share too. Alden Blevins: [00:19:00] Yeah. So I was just going to say that as someone with my own lived experience with disability and my own trials and tribulations, especially with navigating some systems as a person with disabilities, I know that something that can be very hard for our community is trusting systems, especially the medical system, the healthcare system or the legal system. And I just wanted to ask you, Molly, how do you think that laws like these and their history affects [00:19:30] how our community trusts these systems? Molly Kirkham: Yeah. So I think now it does make you feel untrustworthy of it. And I think this goes back to the fact that you're not in charge of your own decisions. So to me, that's the big part, is not trusting the system to truly listen to you. Because a lot of times when you have disabilities, it feels like the legal system or doctors are deciding what's going [00:20:00] on or what's going to happen without you being present or being in control. So for me, part of trust is feeling like people listen and heard. So for me, a lot of times when in legal systems, if you have a disability, you feel like that you're not going to be heard. And that's I think what ruins the trust, is the fact that people with disabilities already [00:20:30] feel not in the majority, in the minority, and we're already a group that's not as included sometimes in discussions or decisions. So for that, I think that's what it goes back to, is that when people with disability feel like they're not valued or people just don't make decisions, I think that blows the trust just in the fact that you don't know if they're going to make the decisions [00:21:00] in your best interest. Before the law came in, I think now that we do have this, I think it's building more trust back because you can tell that people want to listen, that they are changing the ways of having ... instead of other people decide, that they're giving the control and the decision back to the person with disabilities. So I think there's still lack of trust, but I think the more bills or the more legal systems and actual systems start [00:21:30] giving back that choice and the decision to people with disabilities, is going to build that trust back up. Michelle Bishop: Molly, I really feel that as we're talking about this, it seems like this is something that comes up again and again every time we talk about the healthcare system in the US, that is people with disabilities, we struggle to navigate the systems, we struggle to get our needs met. And I was wondering if y'all could talk about how disabled people's capacity to make decisions about their own bodies [00:22:00] gets questioned or even if are there other legal protections that exist or that need to exist to protect the bodily autonomy of people with disabilities in Colorado or beyond? Molly Kirkham: To answer that question, I think yes, we can always have more protections. I always say the more protections and the more protection for people with disability are always, to me, a plus. But to the [00:22:30] first question, which is, yeah, the decisions and their own bodies [inaudible 00:22:36], I think that again goes back to the fact that the judgment part, the preconceived notion is that when someone comes in with a disability, that they must not be able to make the decision. Or it's the same thing with doctors, is they can decide just because you have a disability, that means that you cannot [00:23:00] make your own decisions or that you don't have the capacity. And I think that goes back to the fact that disabilities, not able or not as able as someone else. So it goes back to that context of if there's someone with disability, that must mean that someone else has to make that decision for them. And I think with doctors, it's the same as they're professional. And so they're going to say that because as a professional, that it feels like they sometimes [00:23:30] have maybe more knowledge. And a lot of times when someone with disabilities, a lot of people assume that they need someone else to do it, that they are not going to be able to make that decision to give consent. And I think it comes back to, again, that preconceived assumption that someone with a disability is not able [00:24:00] to understand, that they're not able to really actually make that decision. And I think that goes back a long time for many areas. So doctors, teachers, one of them, but I know we're always trying to work on this, is support decision-making, guardianship. I think for me, this is a big one as first sterilization of course is a big one since it really [inaudible 00:24:30] [00:24:30] I can't imagine not being able to decide. But I think it goes to almost a lot of stuff. So to me, it's anything that can impact a person with disability rights is something that needs to be protected, whether that's [inaudible 00:24:46], whether it's health insurance, whether that's job. But I think a lot of times one thing that would need to change for that is getting rid of that preconceived notion that people with disabilities are not [00:25:00] able to do stuff and trying to get to the point of supporting them and giving them that opportunity to take some control back of decisions that truly affect them. Stephanie Flynt McEben: 1000%. Absolutely. And I think that a lot of that is based on perceptions and misconceptions. People don't realize or expect [00:25:30] that disabled people or people with disabilities can make various decisions for themselves. Obviously, these are some really, really heavy topics. And so I did want to lean a little bit into a little bit more of a positive framework here and really just personally ask, what does it mean for you personally that this law has passed? Molly Kirkham: Yeah. What does it mean personally to me to see that change? [00:26:00] I think, to me, it's hope. It's the idea that there are people even now through tough times that are willing to stand up and say, "This is not right," and fix it. And to me, again, it's going back to seeing that people with disabilities are valued, that they do matter. Going back to personalization, to me, it feels very hopeful and comforting to know [00:26:30] that there is a law now that does say that people with disabilities still have the right to [inaudible 00:26:38], that they have the right for them to be in control of their lives and make decisions. And again, the repeal of the law, to me, it means that we're taking a step forward. That we are saying that people with disabilities should have that decision, that they are the ones who can decide [00:27:00] what happens to them and what is not going to happen. When I think about this bill, I think about how far we already have come from the history of people with disability being sterilized and now coming to the place that we're saying, "No, that's not right." And that this is not how people with disabilities are going to be treated. To me, that is really very comforting [00:27:30] to know that the people are going to stand up, that even laws like this can be changed and that people can do what I think is the right thing even if it's a lot. Even if there's a lot of people pushing against it, that there is always going to be at least, that people are going to support the disability and that they want ... And that's a change in perspective from people with disability not being able to say what they [00:28:00] want to do to now being the ones in charge of what goes on. So I think at the end of the day, it's just about seeing, even if things are tough, seeing the progress that's going on, even if it's little. Alden Blevins: I love what you said about both hope and progress. For me, it's inspiring both to look backwards and think about the things that some of our ancestors in the disability community had to live through and that they were able to get through [00:28:30] that not even that long ago. But it's also inspiring to look forward and think about all of the progress we can make and how far things have come in terms of changing attitudes and really supporting the capacity and the competency of people with disabilities to make decisions about their own lives. So I love the message of hope because I think it gives me some hope too. Michelle Bishop: I think that's true, Alden. And not to be a huge bummer, but [00:29:00] as we've been having this conversation, I've been wondering for Jack or for Molly, we've talked a lot about the history here. Do you think it's dangerous to assume that this could never happen again? Jack Johnson: I'll jump in here. That's one of the reasons we wanted to repeal the law. What we saw was a friendly legislature and an opportunity. Even though we've heard that this procedure has not been used recently, we very much feel that given everything happening in the world right now, it's not [00:29:30] unrealistic that someone could use this law to justify doing this again or expanding involuntary sterilization the way it is right now. And so it wasn't just a symbolic repeal of something that doesn't happen anymore. I think it really is an important repeal to protect people with disabilities as many areas of government move to look to restrict rights even further. Stephanie Flynt McEben: Thank you so much. [00:30:00] I really appreciate that insight there. Are there any other takeaways throughout the legislative process of getting this done that you think might be informative for other states to engage in their own advocacy? Jack Johnson: Yeah, I think one of the powerful things that we looked at that really started this process was a 50-state study done by a national women's health organization that looked at [00:30:30] forced sterilization laws across the country and also examined state by state using citations where those laws exist in the statute and how they may interact or interplay with other areas of law. And that was a really powerful study because it's persuasive to the legislators who are looking at what other states have done, but it's also a great starting point because it points you directly to what your state is doing in terms of forced sterilization in their statute, where it belongs in the statute, and [00:31:00] an easy point to just say, "We need to repeal this thing right here." Alden Blevins: And I love that you said that you leaned on that study from the national women's health perspective, because I think that that so well illustrates a topic for my last question, which is just, do you have any additional advice about how to bridge gaps or build coalitions with other organizations so that we can collaborate as a larger disability community to [00:31:30] make things like this happen? Jack Johnson: Yeah. Well, I definitely encourage folks to reach out to every other organization that works in those spaces in the state or in neighboring states. I think we've had a lot of success with that, building power in our movement by collaborating with other disability-focused organizations or adjacent organizations that advocate for kids, advocate for healthcare patients, advocate for justice-involved folks, [00:32:00] because all of those organizations have an impact and their advocacy helps us just as much as we help them. And those type of movements have really given us not just us standing alone, but us standing in community with a lot of lived experience, not just from the disability perspective, on the policies and their impacts on people. And then the other thing is we try very diligently to keep a lot of our policy meetings open so that anyone can participate. And I think that gives us a [00:32:30] lot of buy-in, not just for people with lived experience, but for other organizations who may not want to participate or may not be able to participate now, but who want to follow along in our process and who may, given the right bill or the right opportunity, jump in and be a great supporter that we have. And so I know there's a lot of strategy that goes involved in lawmaking, but we always try to just leave our meetings open with invites that are public, and that has given us a lot of success in terms of buy-in and voices [00:33:00] of people with disabilities leading the way. Michelle Bishop: Thank you both so, so much for joining us today. This has been really an incredible conversation, and thank you both so much for your work and your leadership. I'm glad we can share this with the rest of our network. I know Stephanie has some info for our listeners. And Molly and Jack, I fear that you're also about to find out about Stephanie's gift for joke telling. Stephanie Flynt McEben: My gift? Oh my goodness. Yeah, no, seriously. Thank you all so much for being [00:33:30] a part of this conversation, 1000%. For any of our listeners who are interested in keeping up with everything that's going on, you can follow Disability Law Colorado on their website, which we'll have linked in the show notes as well as their social media channels. But I also want to give Jack and Molly an opportunity to shout out anything else that they might want to plug in terms of following. Jack Johnson: I think Disability Law Colorado's webpages and our social [00:34:00] media is the best place, but Molly is the rockstar. She's on the local news in the evenings when they interview people with lived experience. So she's definitely the one that you want to follow. Stephanie Flynt McEben: Oh my gosh. Molly, do you want to plug your social media and then we can also put it in the notes? Molly Kirkham: Yeah, I'll be happy to. So I would say for mine, I do have a Facebook page. Yeah, it's just Molly Kirkham. There's two of them. So it's Molly Kirkham and it's the one that's having [00:34:30] me with the running. But I'd say in terms of social media in terms of legislative, the Arc of Colorado Facebook page, website, and the Arc of the United States page, I would always recommend. If you reach out to them, they can help you in many ways. So for social media, that's it. And then the last thing that I think Jeff might know this is in terms of speaking up and speaking out is to remember [00:35:00] to not take no as a solid answer. That's a step toward a yes. And for me, the most important thing to remember is to look at everyone as a person. And I think that's my main message in any of this, legislative, doctor, whatever, social media, is just remembering that this is a person that is going to be affected. I think that's my big takeaway. If people can look at each other as humans, that goes the farthest. Stephanie Flynt McEben: [00:35:30] Absolutely. Absolutely. And then Michelle, aren't you going to ask me your favorite question of the episode? Michelle Bishop: I was hoping Alden was just going to wrap us, but okay, Jack and Molly, we have this weird tradition on our podcast where Stephanie has gotten into the habit of telling a joke. And if you don't know this about Stephanie, she tells really terrible dad jokes. So Stephanie, do you have a joke for the people this time? Stephanie Flynt McEben: I actually don't. Michelle Bishop: What? There's no joke. Stephanie Flynt McEben: I know. The [00:36:00] thing is, I was going to try to make a joke about employment, but it just wasn't working. Michelle Bishop: Oh. Alden Blevins: My God. Stephanie. Michelle Bishop: Stephanie, actually, you got me with that one. I'm not going to lie. Stephanie Flynt McEben: I was honestly ready for your reaction to me not having a joke because I was like, I always have a joke. Michelle Bishop: You always ... Honestly, I don't know why I believed you when you said you didn't have one ready. And I think you got a chuckle out of Jack actually. Stephanie Flynt McEben: [00:36:30] Yay. Oh my gosh. We love our little jokester crew. Oh my gosh. Michelle Bishop: Thank you both for coming on today, for everything you taught us today. It was amazing. And for dealing with our terrible, terrible jokes. Alden, tell the people everything they need to know. Alden Blevins: Yes. Again, we're so grateful we've been able to collect and learn more from you both. This has been National Disability Radio, where we dive into tough topics and the elbow grease it takes [00:37:00] to make change happen. If you enjoyed this episode, be sure to subscribe, share, and continue the conversation with us at ndrn.org or anywhere you get your favorite podcasts. Thanks for listening. And until next time, let's keep working together to create a world where all people with disabilities can thrive. Stephanie Flynt McEben: Bye.

In this episode, Roberta Tinch, President, Inova Mount Vernon Hospital, discusses building a strong culture, developing the healthcare workforce pipeline, and empowering frontline teams to transform care delivery. She also shares leadership lessons on staying curious, lifelong learning, and keeping people at the center of healthcare.

In this episode, Roberta Tinch, President, Inova Mount Vernon Hospital, discusses building a strong culture, developing the healthcare workforce pipeline, and empowering frontline teams to transform care delivery. She also shares leadership lessons on staying curious, lifelong learning, and keeping people at the center of healthcare.

Welcome to episode 345 of Grow Your Law Firm, hosted by Ken Hardison. In this episode, Ken sits down with Bert Parnall, Founder of Parnall Law. Bert shares how he helped grow Parnall Law from a small personal injury practice into a firm with 19 attorneys and more than 110 team members. The conversation focuses on the practices behind sustained growth, including building a strong culture, hiring selectively, developing leaders, strengthening intake, and creating disciplined planning rhythms. Bert also explains why a client-first mission, clear core values, and a commitment to team development have helped the firm generate more referrals and scale without losing focus on the people it serves.   What you'll learn in this episode: 1. How Culture Supports Law Firm Growth - Why core values should shape how team members communicate and serve clients - How a strong culture can improve retention, collaboration, and long-term performance 2. How to Hire and Develop Better Leaders - Why selective hiring is more important than simply filling open roles quickly - How owners can grow by empowering leaders instead of staying involved in every decision 3. Why Intake Is a Core Growth Engine - Why marketing dollars are wasted when a firm is not equipped to convert incoming leads - How a stronger intake team helps firms capture more of the opportunities their marketing creates 4. How Planning Creates Accountability - Why annual planning and quarterly reviews help firms stay focused on their priorities - How disciplined business rhythms keep leaders working on the firm, not only in it 5. How a Client-First Mission Drives Referrals - Why excellent client service can become one of the strongest sources of repeat business - How putting the client's needs first can guide decisions, even in difficult cases         Resources:  Website: hurtcallbert.com LinkedIn: linkedin.com/company/parnall-law Facebook: facebook.com/ParnallLawFirm Instagram: instagram.com/parnalllawfirmllc YouTube: youtube.com/@parnalllawfirm         Additional Resources:  https://www.pilmma.org/the-mastermind-effect https://www.pilmma.org/resources https://www.pilmma.org/mastermind

In this episode of Bealls Legacy, Matt sits down with DavidBrown, Vice President of Stores at Bealls, to discuss leadership, culture, and the future of the organization.With more than 25 years of retail experience, includingleadership roles at Target and Ross, David shares why humility, gratitude, and a willingness to keep learning have shaped his approach to leadership. He also discusses the importance of putting people at the center of the business, building strong teams, and creating a culture where both associates and theorganization can grow.David also shares his perspective on Bealls' continuedexpansion, the opportunity to introduce the brand to new guests, and why he's excited about what's ahead.Episode Timeline:00:00:00              Introductions00:01:45              bealls vs. Ross00:05:01              Being Humble00:07:04              A Different Approach00:11:37              bealls Biggest Opportunities00:18:30              Excited about?00:20:43              What's next?00:25:39              Closing #BeallsLegacy #Leadership #RetailLeadership #StoreOperations #GuestExperience #RetailStrategy #Innovation #Productivity #Teamwork #Bealls

Grace Wright, VP of Innovation at Gorilla 76, joins The Manufacturing Employer to discuss leading teams through AI-driven change with a focus on people and process. Drawing from her own career journey, Grace discusses the importance of adapting to uncertainty, building trust around new technology and keeping human expertise at the core of transformation. She shares the thinking behind Gorilla's "People Policy", her approach to scaling AI adoption across teams and why the winning companies will be those that prioritize learning, transparency and empowering employees to drive innovation.

In this episode of Boldline, Pam Nabors, President and CEO of CareerSource Central Florida, sits down with Daniel Entwistle, U.S. Director and Cofounder of Curium Solutions, to explore how leaders and organizations can create meaningful change that lasts. Daniel shares his journey from the banking industry in the United Kingdom to building Curium Solutions presence in Orlando, compares approaches to talent and workplace culture in the United States and Europe, and explains why trust, employee involvement, and long-term investment in people are essential to successful business transformation.

The Full Circle Leader offers a daily dose of leadership focused on helping you, the leader. During challenging times we need all of the encouragement we can get. Sometimes there's simply no playbook and we just need to do the best we can. Sometimes the best we can is being reminded of the gifts and insight you already have within.Be sure to subscribe and get your daily dose.Subscribe in Apple Podcastshttps://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/being-at-work/id1468460670Subscribe in Spotifyhttps://open.spotify.com/show/4xU1c5ncX5Vuukohwhps34About Andrea ButcherAndrea Butcher is a visionary business leader, executive coach, and keynote speaker—she empowers leaders to gain clarity through the chaos by being MORE of who they already are. Her experiences—serving as CEO, leading at an executive level, and working in and leading global teams—make her uniquely qualified to support leadership and business success. She hosts the popular leadership podcast, Being [at Work] with a global audience of over 600,000 listeners and is the author of The Power in the Pivot (Red Thread Publishing 2022) and HR Kit for Dummies (Wiley 2023).Connect with Andreahttps://www.abundantempowerment.com/LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/leaderdevelopmentcoach/Abundant Empowerment Upcoming Eventshttps://www.abundantempowerment.com/events

What happens when a contractor stops selling equipment and starts selling solutions? Tim O'Brien explains the shift.

David Wurtzbacher — Building a People-First Business What does it really look like to put people first while building and scaling a business? In this episode of Anything But Typical, Gary and Ben sit down with David Wurtzbacher, Founder and CEO of Ascend, to talk about leadership, entrepreneurship, culture, and building organizations where people have the opportunity to flourish. David shares lessons from his journey through JPMorgan, Lightwave Dental, and ultimately founding Ascend — including why character matters in M&A, how Ascend is working to preserve the independence of entrepreneurial CPA firms, and why long-term thinking often requires making decisions that can't immediately be measured on a spreadsheet. The conversation also explores the importance of stepping out of the day-to-day to work on the business, developing a coachable mindset, investing in future leaders, and intentionally designing a life that goes beyond professional success. In This Episode: What it means to lead people toward an inspiring vision Why Ascend takes a People First approach to growth Preserving independence and culture during acquisitions Choosing the right people — not simply the right deal Why leaders have to make time to work on the business The role of executive coaching and lifelong learning Creating opportunities for the next generation of leaders David's perspective on faith, purpose, and living an abundant life About David Wurtzbacher David Wurtzbacher is the Founder and CEO of Ascend, a platform built to help entrepreneurial CPA firms grow and transform while preserving their independence, culture, people, and approach to serving clients. Resources Ascend: ascendtogether.com Ascend on LinkedIn: Search “Ascend” on LinkedIn Connect with David: Find David Wurtzbacher on LinkedIn About Anything But Typical Anything But Typical shares the real stories behind entrepreneurship — not just the wins, but the challenges, decisions, lessons, and experiences that shape the journey. If you enjoyed this episode, subscribe and share it with someone who could benefit from the conversation.

⭐ Get my coaching & community to achieve financial freedom →  https://www.coachcarson.com/rpm-pod-500   ⚒️Get my best investor tools for FREE →  https://www.coachcarson.com/toolkit-pod-500   ▶️Next Episode: How to Become Financially Free with 5 Small & Simple Rentals Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/357-how-to-become-financially-free-with-5-small-simple/id1448707654?i=1000665864424 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/episode/336CUBMafiXziE1NfdMh8O?si=MX98eU8FQD-bWo5hIcFfZg -------------------------- EPISODE NOTES:

Greektown has been a staple of downtown Detroit for generations. I have so many great memories as a kid, and it's one of the most "city-feeling" areas of Detroit, and has a litany of great restaurants, bars, and more. Now, a major transformation has made Monroe Street more flexible, pedestrian-friendly, and vibrant for the future. Norris Howard and I sat down with Lori Singleton, landscape architect and design director at SmithGroup, to break down the vision behind the new Greektown streetscape. We dive into: The Shift to Pedestrian-First Design and why sacrificing some on-street parking allowed for expanded outdoor dining, curbless walkways, and flexible plaza spaces. How clever systems and underground engineering keep street trees healthy without destroying sidewalks or drowning roots. And how incremental public space improvements — from the Dequindre Cut, to Beacon Park, to Capitol Park, to Grand Circus Park — are reshaping how people experience downtown Detroit. There are more images in our newsletter going out tonight. Sign up here: https://www.dailydetroit.com/ Remember that our Summer Studio Open House is SATURDAY MORNING! It's free, but please RSVP on Eventbrite so we know how much coffee and donuts to get. https://www.eventbrite.com/e/1995592904096?aff=oddtdtcreator Make sure to follow the show on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get shows. Thanks to our members on Patreon! We have our new $3.13 tier to keep local media alive in the 313.

What if building a successful business started with one simple belief: people matter?In this episode of The Beacon Way Podcast, Adrienne Wilkerson sits down with Josh Block, author of People Matter at Work, to discuss what it truly means to build a people-first culture without sacrificing accountability, growth, or business performance. Josh shares his remarkable leadership journey—from moving from sales representative to company president almost overnight after his father stepped down, to helping grow a family business into a thriving organization that was ultimately acquired by Siemens Healthineers and CommonSpirit Health. Along the way, he learned that sustainable business growth isn't just about systems or strategy—it's about creating an environment where people feel safe, seen, and successful. Together, Adrienne and Josh explore how leaders can hold people accountable with empathy, why thoughtful leadership creates stronger organizations, and how intentional cultures outperform accidental ones.Whether you're an entrepreneur, executive, healthcare leader, or accidental business owner, this conversation offers practical leadership lessons you can apply immediately.In This Episode:• Josh's unexpected journey from sales rep to company president • Leading a family business at just 29 years old • Balancing empathy with accountability • Why clear expectations create stronger teams • The difference between "me" cultures and "we" cultures • Josh's Three T's of Leadership • Creating workplaces where people feel safe, seen, and successful • Why words shape organizational culture • Leading through business acquisitions with transparency • Building businesses people actually want to work for Key Takeaways:Leadership starts with serving others.Great leaders don't simply focus on business performance. They invest in helping people become the best version of themselves while creating accountability that benefits both the individual and the organization.Accountability and empathy can coexist.Holding people accountable isn't about punishment. When expectations are clear and leaders genuinely care about their people, accountability becomes an investment in growth rather than a source of fear.Culture is built intentionally.Organizations don't accidentally create healthy workplaces. Shared language, clear values, transparency, and thoughtful leadership shape the environment employees experience every day.The strongest teams feel safe, seen, and successful.When people know they matter, they're more likely to contribute ideas, take ownership, remain engaged, and stay with the organization long term.Chapters:00:00 Welcome to The Beacon Way Podcast00:47 Meet Josh Block01:10 From Sales Representative to President Overnight03:05 Leading Older Employees at Age 2905:05 Leadership Lessons From Early Mistakes06:45 Holding People Accountable with Empathy09:50 Why Clear Expectations Matter11:05 Helping Employees Feel Safe, Seen & Successful12:40 The Three T's of Leadership15:05 Why Shared Language Builds Culture18:20 Growing a Business Through Acquisition22:30 Transitioning from President to Advisor24:05 Building Trust Through Transparency26:00 Josh's Current Work and Mission27:15 Where to Find People Matter at Work28:20 Closing ThoughtsConnect with Josh Block

Chris Tarbell is a leading privacy, cyber, and data strategy executive. He currently serves as the Chief Privacy Officer for VERSANT Media LLC. Prior to his current role, Chris was an associate general counsel for Fanatics and the Walt Disney Company, where he advised global businesses on compliance with domestic and international privacy, data security, and related consumer protection laws. Most recently, Chris served as Senior Counsel at the leading law firm of Kelley Drye and Warren, where he also supported clients in numerous regulatory investigations related to marketing and advertising. In this episode… Building strong privacy programs relies on human connection and a deep understanding of organizational dynamics and business goals. To be successful, privacy professionals must participate in the business rather than just focusing on meeting legal requirements. This approach enables leaders to advocate for the tools, budget, headcount, and other resources to move the program forward. Because privacy impacts many business functions, it is very much a people business, requiring strong relationships, cross-functional collaboration, and the ability to build trust with stakeholders and internal teams. So, what steps can companies take to achieve this?  Putting this into practice starts with assembling a people-first privacy team and hiring individuals with the soft skills to step into unfamiliar situations, assess what is needed, and work across departments to move the program forward. By bringing curiosity and enjoyment to privacy work, they create an environment where other departments are more willing to involve privacy early and often. This approach is especially important in the media industry, where privacy pros may need to work with news colleagues to balance the right to be forgotten with First Amendment considerations or partner with intellectual property teams to protect personal information during piracy investigations. And while collaboration is essential, teams must also determine what can realistically be achieved with the time and resources available without allowing perfection to stall progress. In this episode of She Said Privacy/He Said Security, Jodi and Justin Daniels speak with Chris Tarbell, Chief Privacy Officer at VERSANT Media, about building effective privacy programs through relationships and collaboration. Chris explains how his experience as both in-house and outside counsel shaped his ability to understand business objectives, advocate for resources, and communicate the value of privacy. He shares insights on the cross-disciplinary nature of privacy work in the media industry, lessons from building a program during a major corporate spinoff, and the importance of creating a people-first privacy team capable of handling unfamiliar business challenges. Chris also explains why bringing some fun to privacy work can make a program more effective.

Project Open Hand delivered its 30 millionth meal this week. And, the Coastal Watershed Council and People First of Santa Cruz County have relaunched their River Stewards program.

DuncanBrandis a leadership and organizational effectiveness advisor, author ofMind the Gap, and founder of Intrinsic Leader. He has worked with nearly 100 organizations across healthcare, technology, finance, and the public sector, helping leaders strengthen culture, succession planning, and team effectiveness. Drawing from firsthand experience during the financial crisis at the Federal Reserve and throughout COVID-era healthcare challenges,Duncanfocuses on helping organizations move beyond outdated leadership models and build people-first systems that support adaptability, engagement, and long-term effectiveness in the modern workplace.

Since December 2025, children and young people under the age of 16 are no longer allowed to use social media in Australia. An initial scientific evaluation now shows that the ban is changing the everyday digital lives of young people — with positive effects, but also new challenges. - Seit Dezember 2025 dürfen Kinder und Jugendliche unter 16 Jahren in Australien keine sozialen Medien mehr nutzen. Eine erste wissenschaftliche Auswertung zeigt nun: Das Verbot verändert den digitalen Alltag junger Menschen – mit positiven Effekten, aber auch neuen Herausforderungen.

Why do employees stay at a company for 25, 40, even 50 years? In this episode of Ratchet+Wrench Radio, Josh Wilber discusses the hiring and retention lessons behind Grote Industries' 125-year legacy. From identifying future leaders and navigating generational shifts to avoiding costly hiring compromises, Wilber shares practical strategies shop owners can use right now to build stronger teams, improve retention, and create a workplace people genuinely want to be part of.

Ready to lead a team that grows stronger with every challenge? This episode of the Just DeW It podcast brings back Cara Cherry, Spring 2023 cover story and Los Angeles regional president at Patterson, for a conversation that's as insightful as it is inspiring. Anne explores Cara's unique journey, from her horse-riding roots in Philadelphia to her current role leading high-performing teams, all while balancing life as a committed mom and passionate advocate for women's advancement and sustainability. We get a candid look at the lessons Cara learned early on—discipline, resilience, and investing wholeheartedly in whatever you do—and how she applies these values to build workplaces where people grow, stay motivated, and feel accountable. The conversation dives into practical strategies for creating strong teams, fostering a culture where progress matters more than perfection, and encouraging everyone to adapt to technology and create positive environmental change. With personal stories, actionable tips, and unfiltered advice on embracing failure as part of growth, this episode offers wisdom for professionals across dentistry and well beyond. What You'll Learn in This Episode: How early life experiences outside of work shape strong leaders Key leadership principles for building motivated, resilient teams The importance of “progress over perfection” in fast-changing industries Strategies for identifying and addressing gaps in team performance What makes a people-first company culture stand the test of time Real-life stories of mission-driven leadership creating a lasting impact Practical, entry-level sustainability tips for homes and dental practices How small green steps fuel larger industry-wide change Adapting to rapid changes in dental technology and digital tools Tune in now to discover Cara Cherry's personal playbook for leading with heart and taking bold actions with your career, your team, and your community! (This episode originally aired on December 11, 2024) You Can Learn More About Cara Cherry Here: LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/cara-cherry-912559a Cara's DeW Article: issuu.com/dentalentrepreneur/docs/dew_magazine_spring2023/s/24060593 Ready to be part of a movement of women shaping the future of dentistry? Join Dental Entrepreneur Woman for masterminds, education, exclusive events, and a supportive community designed to help you grow, lead, and leave your mark on the industry. Become a member at: https://dew.life/membership/ Mentions & Links: Events: The DeW Life Retreat DTA Tools: Gallup CliftonStrengths (2.0) Organizations: Patterson Dental

Upcoming Events Snowfighters Institute Webinars: Join us live for monthly webinars built to help snow pros run stronger, more profitable operations. All sessions run 10:00 to 11:00 AM. Finding & Managing Subcontractors | Tuesday, August 11, 2026 How do you find subcontractors who actually show up when it snows? Capacity Planning | Tuesday, September 8, 2026 How do you determine your true operational capacity? Recruiting | Tuesday, October 13, 2026 Why can't you find good people to hire, and what can you do about it? Incentive Compensation & Rewards | Tuesday, November 10, 2026 Are your bonuses and rewards actually driving the results you want? Client & Employee Appreciation | Tuesday, December 8, 2026 Are you truly appreciating your clients and employees, or just going through the motions? See the full webinar list → In-Person Event GROW! Snow | September 22 to 23, 2026 An in-person event built for snow leaders and their teams. Two days of snow-specific breakout sessions, a facility tour, and content designed to drive real change at your business. Details coming soon. Scott Lesak, President of Kasel Rocks Facility Services in Allentown, Pennsylvania, joins Phil to share his journey from professional track cyclist to firefighter to president of a mid-sized industrial snow operation. From starting a business with his dad at 15 while racing bicycles, to pivoting from high-end residential design build into recurring-revenue commercial snow, to running roughly 45 loaders across the entire eastern half of Pennsylvania, Scott shares hard-won lessons on communication, culture, and the personal transformation that reshaped how he leads. He also opens up about his firefighting years, his recovery from PTSD and alcohol, and why the change you want to see in your business starts within you. Connect with Scott on LinkedIn Key Learnings Hire for Attitude, Not Experience - Skills can be taught, but the willingness to learn and show up upbeat is what actually predicts whether someone will grow into a great team member. Recurring Revenue Multiplies Your Selling Effort - Selling $1.5M in one-time design build work every year gets you $1.5M, but selling $1.5M in three-year contracts stacks to $4.5M in revenue by year three. 12-Month Billing Reduces Snow Risk - Guaranteed 12-month billing on seasonal contracts is what makes it safe to invest in the loaders, plows, and equipment growth requires. Relationships Beat Production in Sales - Clients don't care how you plow snow or cut grass, they care that it's done, so the relationship side of the sales process matters more than showing off your production process. Not Everyone Thinks Like You Do - The older you get, the more you realize your thought process is unique, which means clarity and repetition in communication matter more than you think. Communication Is a True Competitive Advantage - Sending weather forecasts, game plan updates, and real-time production updates keeps clients informed and separates you from every other contractor claiming the same service. Get Ahead of Damage Before Clients Find It - When operators chip a curb or hit anything on site, having a system that puts a photo in fr... Chapters (00:00:20) - Welcome and Introductions(00:01:04) - Growing Up in Farm Country(00:01:59) - From Pro Cyclist to Business Owner(00:06:47) - Penn State and the Early Hustle(00:08:00) - Living in a Firehouse(00:10:51) - Faith, Family, and Values(00:11:43) - Buying Out Dad(00:15:54) - The Pivot to Facility Services(00:19:39) - Hard Lessons in Sales(00:21:21) - DISC and Finding Mentors(00:23:07) - Inside the Snow Operation Today(00:24:15) - Damage Reporting in Five Minutes(00:26:37) - The Standardized Scope Advantage(00:27:30) - Aspire, WhatsApp, and Ops(00:29:08) - Salt, Liquids, and Sidewalk Gear(00:30:58) - 20 Years Without a Slip and Fall(00:33:09) - People First, Profits Third(00:36:21) - The Firefighter, the Bottle, and Recovery(00:41:39) - Get Plugged In and Look Inward

In this episode, Scott Harris shares his journey from a seasoned NYC real estate agent to the founder of Magnetic Real Estate. He discusses his unique approach to client care, team building, market opportunities, and leveraging AI to scale his business.   Professional Real Estate Investors - How we can help you: Investor Fuel Mastermind:  Learn more about the Investor Fuel Mastermind, including 100% deal financing, massive discounts from vendors and sponsors you're already using, our world class community of over 150 members, and SO much more here: http://www.investorfuel.com/apply   Investor Machine Marketing Partnership:  Are you looking for consistent, high quality lead generation? Investor Machine is America's #1 lead generation service professional investors. Investor Machine provides true 'white glove' support to help you build the perfect marketing plan, then we'll execute it for you…talking and working together on an ongoing basis to help you hit YOUR goals! Learn more here: http://www.investormachine.com   Coaching with Mike Hambright:  Interested in 1 on 1 coaching with Mike Hambright? Mike coaches entrepreneurs looking to level up, build coaching or service based businesses (Mike runs multiple 7 and 8 figure a year businesses), building a coaching program and more. Learn more here: https://investorfuel.com/coachingwithmike   Attend a Vacation/Mastermind Retreat with Mike Hambright: Interested in joining a "mini-mastermind" with Mike and his private clients on an upcoming "Retreat", either at locations like Cabo San Lucas, Napa, Park City ski trip, Yellowstone, or even at Mike's East Texas "Big H Ranch"? Learn more here: http://www.investorfuel.com/retreat   Property Insurance: Join the largest and most investor friendly property insurance provider in 2 minutes. Free to join, and insure all your flips and rentals within minutes! There is NO easier insurance provider on the planet (turn insurance on or off in 1 minute without talking to anyone!), and there's no 15-30% agent mark up through this platform!  Register here: https://myinvestorinsurance.com/   New Real Estate Investors - How we can work together: Investor Fuel Club (Coaching and Deal Partner Community): Looking to kickstart your real estate investing career? Join our one of a kind Coaching Community, Investor Fuel Club, where you'll get trained by some of the best real estate investors in America, and partner with them on deals! You don't need $ for deals…we'll partner with you and hold your hand along the way! Learn More here: http://www.investorfuel.com/club   —--------------------

When culture becomes more than a poster on the wall, it can change everything from retention to revenue. Rosie sits down with Christine Dolliver to explore what happens when a construction company chooses to be both people-focused and results-focused. Christine shares how Dealers Wholesale is building a leadership culture where titles do not define influence, values guide real decisions, and frontline leaders are equipped to have the hard conversations that create trust. From 88% retention in an industry where turnover is often high to record-breaking revenue, this conversation proves that investing in people is not fluffy. It is strategic. If you are ready to build a workplace where people feel seen, leaders feel equipped, and growth does not come at the expense of humanity, this episode will challenge and inspire you.   Additional Resources: Get your copy of "Future-Proofing Leadership" Dr. Rosie Ward! Connect with Christine on LinkedIn Connect with Rosie on LinkedIn Learn more about Salveo Partners Follow PeopleForward Network on LinkedIn Learn more about PeopleForward Network   Key Takeaways: Leadership is influence, not a title. People-focused cultures can still drive record results. Values must guide daily decisions and behaviors. Great retention starts with equipped, engaged leaders. Hard conversations are an act of care.

"There was a time when the Declaration of Independence was news. Most books written about the Declaration have pursued questions about its precedence and authorship as well as its legacy. In 1776, when the Declaration was news, it was part of an ever-changing and circulating amalgam of accurate and inaccurate information, gossip, military intelligence, speculation, and opinion. At approximately one thousand three hundred and twenty words from ‘When in the Course of Human Events' through ‘Our Sacred Honor,' the Declaration took fewer than ten minutes to read and filled only one or two columns of a typical newspaper. This was a text that could be communicated swiftly, but it was also a text for which the context in which it was communicated mattered. The questions of who experienced the news of independence and when and how they did so reveal a critical, overlooked history of the American Revolution.”Those are the words of my guest Emily Sneff in her new book When the Declaration of Independence Was News. It is a book that reframes the Declaration and enables us to see it in a new way: at a moment when the success of the Revolution was far from inevitable, and when the mere existence of the Declaration forced people to choose sides—or to reconsider everything they had previously believed about authority, loyalty, and politics.Emily Sneff is an independent historian specializing in the history and memory of the American Revolution. Her research has focused particularly on the Declaration of Independence and its transmission, reception, and preservation. When the Declaration of Independence Was News is her first book.

In most industries, culture lives in your annual engagement survey. In hospitality, it walks out to the dining room every single night. It shows up in how your server handles a difficult table, in the energy at the host stand, and in whether your team feels taken care of or just managed. Donna Giarratana, Director of Human Resources at Baldi Management Group and founder of MoxeeHR, LLC, has built people-first HR systems across some of the country's most demanding hospitality environments, including the three-Michelin-star Inn at Little Washington and the José Andrés Group. In this episode, she shares what actually moves the needle: Why the parallel between how guests want to feel and how employees want to feel is a management strategy, not a metaphor How to build attendance policies that are fair, equitable, documentable, and still genuinely human What engagement actually looks like across very different worker populations, from career hospitality professionals to first-job team members Timestamps [00:01:03] Donna's origin story: from hostess to HR leader in hospitality [00:01:24] Why culture shows up differently in hospitality than in knowledge work environments [00:01:53] The parallel between what guests and employees both want: to feel seen, acknowledged, and cared for [00:03:41] Debunking myths about leading restaurant teams across multiple generations [00:06:05] What "pouring into your people" actually looks like in daily restaurant operations [00:08:10] Building attendance policies that balance compliance requirements with human compassion [00:12:41] How to develop managers on the spot when desk-based training isn't realistic [00:15:57] Early burnout signals to watch before turnover becomes a problem, including the "clopen" pattern [00:19:11] How engagement needs differ significantly between lifers and newer team members [00:22:11] Donna's single takeaway for every hospitality leader today Brought to You by Paylocity Paylocity is the fastest growing unified platform for HR, Finance, and IT. Paylocity brings your people, processes, and data together in one place so HR leaders can spend less time managing systems and more time doing the work that actually moves their organizations forward. Learn more at paylocity.com Keywords: hospitality HR, high-turnover workforce, people-first culture, restaurant management, attendance policy, progressive discipline, manager development, employee engagement, generational workforce, lifers, onboarding, retention, burnout prevention, clopens, EAP resources, compliance, workforce planning, cultural transformation

Most companies treat employee retention as an HR problem.The data from hundreds of P&Ls says it's a leadership problem and the companies that figure that out first are the ones that consistently outperform.Rohit Bassi, McKinsey veteran, private equity operator, and author of People Priority, introduces a framework that is changing how business leaders think about their most valuable asset. Rohit calls it People Quotient, or PQ. Just as individuals have IQ and EQ, companies have PQ. The ones that measure it, invest in it, and build it deliberately are the ones that win.Rohit and, host, Ashish Kothari unpack why retention is not a metric to hand off to HR, why trust is the single most important element of any organizational design, and why the companies winning with small and medium sized businesses are the ones treating talent operations as a core business function not an afterthought.If you lead a team, run a business, or advise organizations on growth, this conversation will change how you think about your people strategy.What you will learn:How successful companies align leadership, structure, and talent systems to elevate their PQThe three leadership traits, drive, empowerment, and velocity, that fuel high performanceWhy most hiring processes are reactive and how to adopt a disciplined, systematic approachThe importance of trust and conflict management in fostering a high-trust cultureHow to use the “CAST” framework, clarity, accountability, structure, and trust for organizational designEpisode Chapters: 03:46 Rohit introduces the concept of People Quotient and how it was born from analyzing hundreds of P&Ls08:00 The three pillars of PQ: leadership capability, organizational design, and talent operations12:00 Why bad managers, not bad companies, are the primary reason people leave29:08 The real cost of attrition34:54 Retention as a leadership trait: what CEOs get wrong43:45 Talent operations: the three things companies consistently get wrong49:36 Why putting people first works from 3-person startups to 10,000 person organizations52:02 Closing reflections: people are not a support function, they are the strategyResources:Connect with the GuestLinkedIn: Rohit BassiRecommended Reading: People Priority The CEOs Blueprint for Winning Talent AcquisitionConnect with the HostLinkedIn: Ashish KothariWebsite: Happiness SquadBook: Hardwired For HappinessYouTube: Happiness Squad ChannelIf this conversation sparked something for you, please subscribe and leave a review, it takes 30 seconds and helps more people discover the show.

Leadership is easy to talk about when everything is calm. But what about when the system feels stretched? When the team is tired. When the pressure is high. When the old ways of leading are no longer working… but the new way forward still feels unclear. That's where people-first leadership becomes more than a nice idea. It becomes a strategy. Because if leaders want to build strong teams, close skill gaps, make better decisions, and create cultures where people can actually do their best work, they have to start with the humans in the room. Including themselves. My special guest today is Christy Honeycutt and she's simplifying how to create a people-first leadership strategy. We tackle and simplify all aspects of it, including: Where leaders should begin when they are assessing where their team is now, identifying skill gaps, and clarifying where they want the team to go next. What it means to "hold space" for C-suite leaders and founders as they elevate, especially in high-pressure seasons of transition. How self-awareness, CliftonStrengths, and meditation can help leaders understand their strengths, regulate their emotions, and make better decisions under pressure. A sneak peek inside her upcoming book, The Inner Work of Leading in a Broken System, and the core ideas leaders need right now to reclaim agency, alignment, and purpose. And there's a moment where we totally geek out about a reality TV show on Netflix called "Outlast: the Jungle" that teaches you a lot about good (and bad!) leadership styles that (totally) translate to Corporate America. Q: Are you wanting to create a people-first leadership strategy? If yes, this one is for you. It's time to #DoTheThing! ---- Show notes available with all links mentioned here: https://www.thesimplifiers.com/posts/425-how-to-create-a-people-first-leadership-strategy---with-christy-honeycutt