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All The Ways You're Building or Breaking Your Credibility
Welcome back to the FNDN Series, where we continue our deep dive into startup people and pay practices with industry leaders from across the startup world.
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Join Startup People Summit, a one-day virtual conference designed for startup People leaders who want practical insight, honest conversations and proven approaches to scaling their People function — get your ticket here: www.startuppeoplesummit.com
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In our conversation with Melanie Naranjo ,Chief People Officer at Ethena, we get raw and real about the state of HR in today's employer-driven market. We explore how HR professionals can build credibility with their CEOs, navigate the pressures of AI adoption, manage the loneliness of the HR role, and find the resilience to advocate for themselves — and their function — with confidence.
Chapters:
00:00 Introduction to the FNDN Series
00:44 Welcome & Setting the Stage
01:03 The Current State of the Market
03:07 How HR Teams Should Adapt
03:29 Spicy Take: Mentoring Your CEO Through AI Panic
05:35 Upskilling the Workforce for an AI-Forward World
07:05 Making AI Accessible — Not Just Aspirational
10:02 DEI, Change Management & Getting Company-Wide Adoption Right
11:16 Building Credibility as a Strategic Partner to the C-Suite
12:18 Asking the Right Questions & Holding CEOs Accountable
14:26 Balancing Short-Term Wins with Long-Term Strategy
15:26 Marketing the HR Function Better
16:24 Handling "Department of Plus One" Overload
22:39 Quarterly Leadership Feedback: Three Questions That Build Credibility
25:46 The Power of Vulnerability in Tough Conversations
28:54 Navigating the Fractional vs. In-House Shift
38:53 Long-Term Career Advice for People Professionals
43:03 Finding Joy Outside of Work
44:54 Wrap-Up & Closing Remarks
Connect with Melanie Naranjo
Visit: https://www.linkedin.com/in/melanie-naranjo
More FNDN Episodes:
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4GeBIeZOKrFxG1oiiPxmiM
Apple Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/fndn-series/id1794263484
HRCredibility, PeopleOps, StartupHR, ChiefPeopleOfficer, HRLeadership, CEORelationship, AIAdoption, HRStrategy, StartupCompensation, ChangeManagement, FractionalHR, HRProfessionals, TalentDensity, WorkplaceWellbeing, HRCareer, PeopleStrategy, StartupCulture, HRBestPractices, EmployeeEngagement, StartupLeadership
View all episodes
By Matt McFarlaneWelcome back to the FNDN Series, where we continue our deep dive into startup people and pay practices with industry leaders from across the startup world.
---
Join Startup People Summit, a one-day virtual conference designed for startup People leaders who want practical insight, honest conversations and proven approaches to scaling their People function — get your ticket here: www.startuppeoplesummit.com
---
In our conversation with Melanie Naranjo ,Chief People Officer at Ethena, we get raw and real about the state of HR in today's employer-driven market. We explore how HR professionals can build credibility with their CEOs, navigate the pressures of AI adoption, manage the loneliness of the HR role, and find the resilience to advocate for themselves — and their function — with confidence.
Chapters:
00:00 Introduction to the FNDN Series
00:44 Welcome & Setting the Stage
01:03 The Current State of the Market
03:07 How HR Teams Should Adapt
03:29 Spicy Take: Mentoring Your CEO Through AI Panic
05:35 Upskilling the Workforce for an AI-Forward World
07:05 Making AI Accessible — Not Just Aspirational
10:02 DEI, Change Management & Getting Company-Wide Adoption Right
11:16 Building Credibility as a Strategic Partner to the C-Suite
12:18 Asking the Right Questions & Holding CEOs Accountable
14:26 Balancing Short-Term Wins with Long-Term Strategy
15:26 Marketing the HR Function Better
16:24 Handling "Department of Plus One" Overload
22:39 Quarterly Leadership Feedback: Three Questions That Build Credibility
25:46 The Power of Vulnerability in Tough Conversations
28:54 Navigating the Fractional vs. In-House Shift
38:53 Long-Term Career Advice for People Professionals
43:03 Finding Joy Outside of Work
44:54 Wrap-Up & Closing Remarks
Connect with Melanie Naranjo
Visit: https://www.linkedin.com/in/melanie-naranjo
More FNDN Episodes:
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4GeBIeZOKrFxG1oiiPxmiM
Apple Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/fndn-series/id1794263484
HRCredibility, PeopleOps, StartupHR, ChiefPeopleOfficer, HRLeadership, CEORelationship, AIAdoption, HRStrategy, StartupCompensation, ChangeManagement, FractionalHR, HRProfessionals, TalentDensity, WorkplaceWellbeing, HRCareer, PeopleStrategy, StartupCulture, HRBestPractices, EmployeeEngagement, StartupLeadership