Bringing the Human back to Human Resources

Carrington Smith Trabue, known as "Carrie" to her friends and colleagues, is the founder and President of Carrington Legal Search and best-selling author of "Blooming." A lawyer by training, Carrington left her litigation practice in 2000 to pursue her passion for connecting people.

Over the last twenty years, Carrington has become the trusted search partner to a host of Fortune 500 companies, venture-backed start-ups, and AMLAW 100 law firms. Her executive search experience focuses primarily on legal and compliance searches in the financial services and technology verticals, but at the request of her clients, has expanded to include searches for other executive roles. Her law firm partner search experience includes office openings, expansions, groups, and individual partner moves.

Carrington has interviewed thousands of executives routinely asking them: "We all have moments in life that define us. Please tell me about a moment that shaped you and how it did." During the pandemic, Carrington authored "Blooming" as her answer to this question and her effort to help anyone who is struggling in life or career.

Connect with Carrie:

Dr. Brad Harris joins the podcast to discuss having a growth mindset, ditching imposter syndrome, and how to find an organization that is closely aligned to the values we hold as individuals.  

Dr. Brad Harris, Ph.D. is a Professor of Management and Human Resources at HEC Paris and a co-founder of People Leader Accelerator. He has co-authored two books, 3D Team Leadership: A New Approach for Complex Teams (Stanford, 2017) and Scaling for Success: People Priorities People Priorities for High Growth Organizations (Columbia, 2021). His research has been published in leading academic journals and cited in popular outlets such as the Wall Street Journal, Harvard Business Review, CNBC, Inc.com, and Fast Company. Brad holds a Ph.D. from Texas A&M University and previously taught at the University of Illinois and Texas Christian University. Brad has won multiple teaching awards for his work in leadership development, including an international recognition from Poets and Quants.  

This week, Clark aka HRShark joins me for a discussion on how he got to where he is today in his "9-5" and on social media. Clark is widely popular on TikTok and Instagram because of his Evil HR impersonations, sharing tips for advancing in your career, and for making us all laugh about the realities of our jobs. 

Be sure to follow Clark on TikTok and Instagram: @hrshark_

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Dr. Baktari is the CEO of eNational Testing, e7 Health, & US Drug Test Centers. Jonathan Baktari MD brings over 20 years of clinical, administrative, and entrepreneurial experience. He has been a triple board-certified physician specializing in internal medicine, pulmonary, and critical care medicine.     

Dr. Baktari is a preeminent, national business thought leader interviewed in The Washington Post, USA Today, Forbes, Barron’s, and many other national publications. He is also an opinion writer for The Hill and the Toronto Star.        

He is the host of a highly-rated podcast BaktariMD as well as a guest on over 50 podcasts. Dr. Baktari was formerly the Medical Director of The Valley Health Systems, Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield and Culinary Health Fund. He also served as clinical faculty for several medical schools, including the University of Nevada and Touro University.

Connect with Dr. Baktari:

Barrett Scruggs has spent the last decade leading digital transformation in consumer banking and employee financial well-being. With expertise in workforce management, operations, and teambuilding, he knows what it takes to deliver the holistic financial benefits employees crave. As VP and head of SoFi at Work, Scruggs is a loyal partner to 900+ employers who rely on its platform, services, tools, insights, and educational resources to deliver holistic financial well-being benefits tailored to each organization’s—and each individual’s—unique and evolving needs. 

A graduate of West Point and Columbia Business School, Scruggs is a retired U.S. Army Captain and Battery Commander. 

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Quiet Quitting is misrepresented and misleading - what's wrong with having boundaries and doing the job you were hired to do without going above and beyond? Surprise: there's nothing wrong with either of those things! Tune into this episode (and share it with a friend) to hear more about what quiet quitting is doing, v. what we should be doing, v. what companies should actually be focused on. 

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Julie Hamilton has over 20 years of Human Resource Management experience and has been a Certified Fibromyalgia Coach for over 7 years. She was diagnosed with fibromyalgia in 2009.

As a Human Resources Director, she knew the resources to use such as Family Medical Leave Act and workplace accommodations to help her with the tasks she was struggling with. She didn’t need to worry about her job when she needed to take time off for flare days or medical appointments. She went from missing two to four days per month to missing two days or less a year.

Then after relocating to Ohio, her chronic illness made it impossible for her to work. That is when she studied to become a Certified Fibromyalgia Coach and learned to manage her fibromyalgia. She has gone from being in bed 90% of her life to walking three miles a day and even participated in her first 10k. She now helps professionals who have fibromyalgia maintain their career and regain their active social life.

Her goal is to help companies create an inclusive environment for the chronically ill and assisting them in implementing policies to benefit both the employee and the company. She understands what it takes to make it work and can educate the company and the employee on how this collaboration can work.

Connect with Julie:

Daniel Tolson is a successful business coach and is regarded as Asia’s #1 business coach specializing in Emotional Intelligence.

He has helped many celebrities, self-made millionaires, and billion-dollar businesses to unleash new income levels. Among many things he enjoys living the expatriate life and has competed with the world's top athletes at extreme games -  he is also a former Australian champion wakeboarder.  
Daniel Tolson’s inspiring journey began as a child, from having a Linear sequential learning disability to becoming a consultant to self-made multi-millionaires! Disability did not stop him from carving his way to his success!

His experiences in life brought about a series of career-highs such as co-leading 17,000 +cabin crews for Emirates Airlines, launching his own clothing brand, and building a global business that impacts more than 15,000+ business people to accelerate & multiply their life.

His accomplishments are proof that there is no limit to what one can achieve, and that it all starts with the right state of mind and a definite purpose. 

Thad Price is CEO at Austin-based Talroo, the data-driven job and hiring event advertising platform that helps businesses reach the candidates they need to build their essential workforce. He provides leadership, strategy, and guidance to all departments. With more than 17 years of experience in online recruitment and the job search vertical, Thad is a recognized thought leader in the HR/TA space. He genuinely believes that there is no industry that plays a more integral role in the economy. Thad uses his cross-functional experience to turn client feedback into innovative products that help companies hire better. Under Thad’s leadership, Talroo continues its mission of disruption in the industry. Prior to joining Talroo, he was a VP of Business Development at Job.com.

Connect with Thad: 

Working for brands like Fila, Champion, and Converse brought about Aja’s passion for designing activewear, yet opened her mind to the negative impact fast fashion has on the environment. Completing her 200-hour yoga teacher training inspired her passion for wellness and mindfulness. That, combined with her strong ties to her faith, were the driving forces that led to the creation of Transcendent Active and the desire to create a fashionable, sustainable modest activewear collection. Eventually moving back to New Jersey and doing some soul searching, Aja was determined to blend her love for designing activewear, her passion for yoga and movement, and her dedication to helping the planet become more sustainable.

Connect with Aja here:

Andrew Kitchner, CEO & Lead Researcher at New Wave Solutions, joins me to discuss why Employee Commitment is a better metric to measure how engaged your team is rather than Employee Engagement. Plus, we talk about how to make surveys more effective and how surveying can affect turnover.   

Connect with Andrew

Lori Mihalich-Levin, JD, believes in empowering working parents. She is the founder and CEO of Mindful Return, author of Back to Work After Baby: How to Plan and Navigate a Mindful Return from Maternity Leave, and co-host of the Parents at Work Podcast. She is also the Co-Chair of the inaugural DC Chapter of Postpartum Support International (PSI). Lori is mama to two wonderful red-headed boys (ages 10 and 12) and is a health care lawyer in private practice. Her thought leadership has been featured in publications including Forbes, The Washington Post, New York Times Parenting, and Thrive Global.

Connect with Lori:

Megan Hunter, MBA, is the co-founder and CEO of the High Conflict Institute in San Diego, California. She is an expert in high conflict personalities and helping people influence high conflict situations by adapting their approach. She's written several books on high conflict interactions/disputes, and has provided training across the U.S. and seven countries.

This week, Megan and I discuss navigating high conflict personalities and situations.

Michelle Harris is the host of the podcast Her Hype Squad with Bosstrack. She founded Bosstrack in 2021 to provide women new to leadership roles with the development, support and mentorship she found lacking for new leaders. Often little thought is given to the new tools and perspectives needed to lead and, as a result, new leaders are expected to just “figure things out”.

Bosstrack was developed to fill this gap. Michelle has over 25 years of leadership experience with more than half of that time spent at an executive level. Her focus has always been on people, shaping her teams to produce results and grow in their roles.

She has led her teams through financial reorganizations, acquisitions and multi-billion dollar private equity sales. She is excited to bring this opportunity to new women leaders!
When not working to empower women leaders, you can find Michelle in the water, in a photography studio or at a new restaurant. She enjoys photography, scuba diving, free diving, enjoying food and wine and exploring new places. She is a mom to two and wife of a former Marine.

Connect with Michelle here:

For the last episode of 2023, Traci is sharing the secret she's been keeping for the last 9 months ;)

This episode is sponsored by:

For more than 30 years, Rita Soronen has worked on behalf of abused, neglected and vulnerable children, providing leadership for local, state and national efforts, working to improve the juvenile justice and child welfare systems while striving to assure safe and permanent homes for North America’s children.

Leading the Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption, a national nonprofit public charity, since 2001 and the Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption-Canada since 2003, Ms. Soronen works to find permanent families for the more than 140,000 waiting children in North America’s foster care systems.

Connect with Rita here:

Joshua Driver is the Founder of Selflessly, an all-inclusive software platform designed to create, manage, and report on a company’s philanthropy and corporate social responsibility (CSR) program. Selflessly was Indiana’s first dual Certified B-Corp and Domestic Benefit Corporation and Certified LGBTQBE from the National Gay and Lesbian Chamber of Commerce.

Connect with Joshua here:

Christophe Martel is the co-founder and CEO of FOUNT Global, Inc., a SaaS company that helps global organizations reduce work friction and improve employee experiences. FOUNT helps companies identify what’s at the root cause of employee dissatisfaction and prioritize what to fix in their environment. Previously, Christophe was CHRO of CEB, a global research and advisory company acquired by Gartner in 2017.

Connect with Christophe here:

As the CEO of Leadpages, a no-code website and landing page builder, Jeanette Dorazio loves helping entrepreneurs turn their business dreams into a reality. She knows first-hand what it takes to run a successful business through her experience holding various executive-level positions at leading organizations, including enterprise software and cloud technology company, Oracle; social-commerce startup, 8thBridge; global electronic payments solution leader, Verifone; and global data and software services company, Solera. As a woman in tech, Jeanette is passionate about breaking down barriers and championing the inclusion and success of women in STEM fields.

Connect with Jeanette Dorazio:

Dr. Jessica Kriegel is the Chief Scientist of Workplace Culture for Culture Partners, leading research and strategy in best practices for driving results through culture. Her doctoral research and practical application through consulting engagements with Oracle, Toyota, Lockheed Martin, and Bank of America to name a few, led to the Culture Equation - a tested model where strategy combined with culture to deliver consistent results.

Sophie Wade is a work futurist, international keynote speaker, author, instructor, and Workforce Innovation Specialist at Future-of-Work consultancy, Flexcel Network. Over 540,000 people have taken her LinkedIn video courses on empathy, Gen Z, and Future of Work skills. Sophie’s executive advisory work and transformative workshops help leaders adapt to new business conditions and attract, engage, and retain a multigenerational distributed workforce. Sophie’s first book Embracing Progress: Next Steps for the Future of Work [May 2017] was an EMBA textbook.

Her latest book is Empathy Works: The Key to Competitive Advantage in the New Era of Work [May, 2022]. Sophie hosts popular podcast “Transforming Work with Sophie Wade”. She got her BA and MA at Oxford University and MBA at international business school INSEAD. Connect with Sophie:

For the past 20 years, Dr. Rebecca Eldredge has supported organizations, individual clients, and graduate students to use a lens that integrates mental health, cultural competence, and social justice so they can cultivate compassion for themselves as they bring compassion to others. She has been honored to work with corporations, university departments, and refugee resettlement agencies as well as hundreds of diverse clients. Rebecca completed both her M.A. and her Ph.D. in Counseling Psychology from Southern Illinois University-Carbondale and has taught adjunct in the University of Houston's and Our Lady of the Lake's graduate psychology programs. 

Dr. Rebecca Eldredge, PhD, delves into a powerful technique: slowing down your exhale. This practice sends reassuring signals to your brain, offering stress relief and improved focus. Rebecca shares a treasure trove of valuable insights throughout our conversation.

Connect with Dr. Rebecca Eldredge here:

In our latest episode, we dissect the highly relevant topic of toxic bosses and their ripple effect across organizations. Matt Auron, our expert guest, zeroes in on the pivotal role of leadership in shaping your workplace's culture. As a coach and thought-partner for founders and CEOs, Matt combines his 20-year career as an executive, facilitator and investor with a passion for supporting leaders of Evolutionary Businesses. Matt co-founded Evolution to partner with companies to fulfill their purpose as iconic, world-enriching entities, and currently serves as Managing Director. He has worked with Slack, Snapchat, Notion, Radiology Partners, Coursera, CrossCut Ventures, NVA, Glassdoor, Scopely, Density, Winc, and Kleiner Perkins, among many others.

Connect with Matt here:

Twitter: @mattauron

Instagram: @auronmatt

Traci recently watched the Netflix Docu-series, "Working: What we do All Day" and couldn't wait to discuss it on the podcast! Throughout the show, it became evident just how crucial it is for employers to truly understand the experiences and needs of their employees. It's not enough to make decisions based solely on our own perspectives; we must consider how these decisions impact those they affect the most.

This episode is sponsored by:

An experienced HR consultant and lawyer, Bryan works with businesses of all sizes, guiding them through today's complex labor laws. With an intimate understanding of the intricacies of employment law, especially in the era of remote work, Bryan ensures that businesses are not just legally compliant, but also places where employees feel valued and take pride in their work. Leveraging his expertise, Bryan has built a successful business that aids other companies in creating work environments that meet their legal obligations and resonate with their employees. His goal is to help create workplaces where legal compliance and employee satisfaction coexist harmoniously. Connect with Bryan here: https://bryanjdriscoll.com/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/bryanjohndriscoll/

This episode is sponsored by:

Isabelle Wang is a strategic and results-driven finance leader with 20+ years of FP&A, global operations, and executive management experience across multiple industries, including public holdings, venture capital, and start-ups. She is results-driven and highly skilled at scaling processes to drive high-performing teams.

Prior to joining Legion, Isabelle spearheaded the development and execution of growth strategies at various enterprise SaaS companies to drive aggressive scaling. Isabelle is also a founding member of FirstBoard.io, a curated group of accomplished female executives in technology, working together to increase the representation of women on boards.

Connect with Isabelle here and learn more about Legion:

Mollie Amkraut Mueller, the CEO and Co-founder of Crew, explains that when employees openly share career goals and managers actively listen and advocate, companies unlock talent at every level.

With clarity around skills, passions, and aspirations, managers can fully support team development. Employees feel truly empowered to grow and organizations become environments where talent thrives.

Connect with Mollie here:

On this week's episode, Mike Goldman joins the podcast to talk about the power of breakthrough leadership and the lessons we can learn from building great leadership teams.

Mike Goldman is a leadership team coach and the bestselling author of two books, Breakthrough Leadership Team and Performance Breakthrough.

He speaks internationally to groups of business leaders, such as the Young Presidents Organization (YPO) and the Entrepreneur’s Organization (EO). During his 30+ year coaching and consulting career he has worked with clients including Disney, Verizon, CHANEL and Polo Ralph Lauren. His insights have been featured in Forbes, Fast Company and Chief Executive Magazine and he is widely regarded by CEO’s as the expert on building great leadership teams.

As both coach and speaker, Mike is on a mission to help CEO’s grow their business and have more impact while creating a more engaging, fulfilling environment for their team using his Breakthrough Leadership Team approach. Mike is a life-long learner. In fact, he often tells his clients that he if he’s gone ninety minutes without recommending a book, they should dial 911 because there may be a serious issue.

Connect with Mike here:

This episode revolves around creating a culture of wellness. Our guest Dr. Richard Safeer, MD shares some amazing insights into cultivating workplace wellness.

We're challenging the old-school concept that being completely engrossed in work is the key to satisfaction. Yes, let's allow passion to drive our careers, yet, self-care is an absolute must.

This week, I address questions submitted by all of YOU, our insightful listeners.

From the ongoing debate over including a photo to the relevance of addresses, I share my insights to help you craft a resume that stands out for all the right reasons. Whether you're a fan of traditional or creative resumes, there's something for everyone in this episode.

Tune in to gain valuable insights and tips that can help you navigate the evolving landscape of resume building. Don't miss out on this opportunity to refine your professional profile. Listen to the episode now.

Lauren Fitzpatrick Shanks is an award-winning engineer with 15 years of experience in entrepreneurship, engineering, product creation, software program management, & operations. She’s the first Black woman to receive an Aerospace Engineering degree from the University of Kansas and the first Black woman to win the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA) international design competition. She’s a recipient of the Women in Technology Rising Star Award and has an MBA in Operations Management from the University of Scranton. Lauren founded KeepWOL, a technology company that uses games to unlock the understanding of human behavior, building stronger relationships in the workplace and beyond. She's a wife, a mother of two, and an avid conversationalist. Her top two values are authenticity and legacy.

Tune into this week's episode to hear how we can navigate the often complex differentiation between contractors and employees. Muddling these roles can result in avoidable complications and risks - something none of us want!

Jacques Martiquet's Life Purpose is to equip team leaders with the best tools to unlock the mental health benefits of human connection. Jacques is a corporate human connection strategist who helps human-centered workplaces design shared experiences that create a lasting difference in mental health, psychological safety, and belonging. Since 2017, Jacques has been earning his title as The Party Scientist by leading thousands of dance parties and shared experiences across 15 countries, and for companies like Accenture, LUSH, and Lululemon. Jacques is on a public health mission to transform how the West socializes. From alcohol and shows... to human connection and fun. Everything he does is informed by one belief: human connection is the elixir of life.

Employment Law Attorney Karly Wannos was gracious enough to sit down with me and talk about the best practices surrounding the prevention of harassment in the workplace! One thing she shared is that an Employee Handbook is essential in every workplace. Creating a written policy but also ensuring that it is accessible, that employees understand it, and also training your management team on the policies. Listen to this week's episode to hear all of her other insights.

This episode is sponsored by: ⁠https://www.directsuggest.com/subscribe.php?id=6992⁠ Use Promo Code: HumanHR

CultureBot: ⁠https://getculturebot.com/humanhr⁠ 

Connect with Karly here:

I recently read an article that stated that companies have more women employed than ever before! THAT is a record worth breaking, don’t you think? So how did we get here? Do these numbers reflect well on the current job market? What can HR professionals do to help sustain and even increase this resurgence of women in the workforce?

In this week’s episode, we talk all about that and more! I have a HUGE call to action for my fellow HR professionals so be ready!

Culture is a verb! Beth Banks Cohn, PhD, is an accomplished Organizational Consultant, Senior Executive Coach, Entrepreneur, and Thought Leader with more than 25 years of success in the healthcare, pharma, bio-tech, IT, hi-tech, retail, engineering, and manufacturing industries. When smart, forward-looking companies need to reimagine their organization, they turn to ADRA Change Architects.

Leveraging her extensive experience in corporate culture, Beth is a valuable asset as she helps companies use organizational transformation to reach the next level of growth. Her broad areas of business experience include IT, manufacturing, sales, marketing, engineering, operations, and human resources. Beth applies her expertise to business initiatives that might include, but are not limited to: corporate culture, organization design, M&A, cultural due diligence, communication, and training.

Regarded by many as the authority on culture, leadership, and change, Beth is a sought-after speaker on key aspects of executing organizational change initiatives that stick. Her passion for educating and guiding people have positioned her clients to feel empowered to thrive in an era of uncertain times. Beth began her career at Johnson & Johnson, and over her 16-year tenure, she held various positions of progressive seniority.

Beth holds a PhD in Human and Organizational Systems from the Fielding Graduate University. Her dissertation entitled: Culturemakers: The role of organizational culture in individual decision making showed how culture is an active, rather than a passive part of organizations. Beth also holds an MA in Organization Development from Fielding Graduate University, an EdM in Human Resource Education from Boston University, and a BA in International Relations from Simmons University. She is certified in the Kolbe Index, the Denison Culture Index, and Myers- Briggs. Beth has authored numerous publications and has written for Change Matters on

BizCatalyst360.com.

Connect with Beth:

It’s that time of year again! As we approach the middle of the year, many companies are going through their annual review process, and it's important to understand how merit increases are determined. It’s an important topic that affects many of us! One listener submitted a great question about merit increases, which inspired this episode. Enjoy!

AI has taken the world by storm, as we know, but will it replace HR jobs? Tune in to find out!

Read the article here: https://arstechnica.com/information-technology/2023/05/ibm-pauses-hiring-around-7800-roles-that-could-be-replaced-by-ai/

Melissa Brown, the Chief Operating Officer for Concierge Elite, is our guest this week! Her educational background includes a Master of Arts degree in Organizational and Business Management specializing in Human Resources. She has several certifications in remote staffing, adult education, and training development. Melissa has 20+ years of experience sharing her expertise deeply rooted in lifelong learning and her devotion to growing and developing people.

She enjoys finding creative solutions to business challenges, innovating new products, and developing organizational processes and efficiencies.

Melissa is one of the top thought leaders in the nation on how to work remotely for professional practices.

Connect with Melissa here:

Rameez Kaleem is the founder and managing director at 3R Strategy, an independent reward consultancy dedicated to helping organizations build a culture of trust through pay transparency. He graduated in economics at University College in London and had various in-house reward consultancy roles before founding 3R Strategy. 3R Strategy supports organizations on their journey to pay transparency, covering rewards transparency, job evaluation and architecture, pay structure design, and equal pay.

Often, the term ‘pay transparency’ is misunderstood as simply the act of publishing salaries, but it's importance runs much deeper. In his new book, 'A Case of the Mondays', Rameez Kaleem explains how pay transparency can help build trust in the workplace, using engaging illustrations, practical tips and relatable examples to bring the concept to life.

Connect with Rameez:

Retired LtCol. Kathy Gallowitz served nearly 30 years in the Air Force as a nurse and public affairs officer. Her practice and perspectives are framed by master's degrees in Nursing and Political Science. In response to 9/11, she designed and executed a never-been-done-before statewide outreach office for the Ohio National Guard to educate and engage civilians in support of troops and their families. This innovative project focused on helping employers better understand the value of Veteran talent and how to retain them.

Although for most of her career she was in public service, she has first-hand experience hiring Veterans as a previous small business owner and advocating for business as a former Chamber of Commerce CEO. Through her business Vanguard Veteran, she equips civilian employers to become Veteran Champions, helping them acquire and keep Veteran talent. She also equips faith community leaders to build Military Ministries.

Learn more about Retired LtCol. Kathy Gallowitz and Vanguard Veteran:

Antoni Lacinai is an international expert on Workplace Communication. His business passion is to decipher the mysteries of human communication, especially around conscious leadership, employee engagement, and customer service. As a global speaker, he has been invited to speak on most continents, and he has coached thousands of executives and teams around the world. When large international organizations or national governments need to elevate for instance their leadership-, sales- and presentation skills they reach out to Antoni and his unique blueprint called Communication insights. 

To date, he has written and co-written 14 books and hundreds of columns and articles. He is a regular columnist in various magazines and is often interviewed on Swedish national TV. Antoni was nominated as The international speaker of the year in Finland in 2022. In 2019 he came in 3rd place at the Swedish Championship of Storytelling, and he has also been voted one of the most popular speakers in Sweden in the last four years. His TEDx talk has been an inspiration to more than 200,000 viewers. Antoni Lacinai loves to create illustrations for his keynotes, songs for his friends, and business blueprints for his customers. 

Antoni Lacinai is an international keynote speaker and workplace communication expert, at the cross-point of Conscious leadership, Customer focus, and Employee engagement. He is often interviewed on national Swedish media and TV and is a regular columnist at various leadership magazines.