At Work, Under Pressure

CONNECT WITH JESSI ON LINKEDIN >>> HERE!

What should employers actually know before running a background check?

In this episode of At Work, Under Pressure, Jessi Beyer sits down with Gavin Bray of Alliance 2020, a nationally accredited background screening firm headquartered in Washington State.

Gavin breaks down what employment screening really includes, why accreditation matters, how background checks protect organizations, and why screening should never be used simply to “weed people out.” Instead, background checks are one part of a bigger hiring picture — one that includes fairness, compliance, role relevance, applicant experience, and thoughtful decision-making.

Jessi and Gavin also dive into Washington’s Fair Chance Act, including what employers need to understand about conditional job offers, criminal history, individualized assessments, and why employers cannot rely on blanket “no felony” policies. They also discuss marijuana testing, drug screening panels, negligent hiring risk, second-chance employment, and the balance between protecting the workplace and creating opportunities for people with past criminal history.

In this episode, Jessi and Gavin discuss:

• What Alliance 2020 does and what employment screening includes
• Why national accreditation matters in the background screening industry
• The “tree” of background screening: criminal checks, drug screening, employment verification, education verification, driving history, credit reports, and more
• What Washington employers need to know about pre-employment cannabis testing
• The risk of negligent hiring claims when employers do not screen candidates
• Why background checks can improve applicant experience and reduce internal HR burden
• How the Washington Fair Chance Act affects hiring decisions
• Why employers need conditional job offers before running background checks
• Why criminal history should be evaluated in relation to the role
• How second-chance employment can reduce recidivism and create opportunity
• Why background screening should be part of a holistic hiring decision, not a shortcut to exclusion

This episode is for HR professionals, business owners, hiring managers, compliance leaders, executives, and anyone responsible for building a safer, fairer, more legally sound hiring process.

Because good screening is not about ruling people out.

It is about making better decisions.

CONNECT WITH GAVIN

• [email protected]
• LinkedIn
• Alliance 2020

CONNECT WITH JESSI ON LINKEDIN >>> HERE!

What does it take to buy, build, and scale a business without losing sight of ethics, culture, and people?

In this episode of At Work, Under Pressure, Jessi Beyer sits down with Jim Tolbert of ExecCap Advisors to talk about entrepreneurship through acquisition, the business of education, regulated industries, private equity, trade schools, leadership, and what it takes to grow companies responsibly.

Jim’s connection to entrepreneurship started long before his professional career. His father, an Air Force veteran, bought and ran a trade school in Baltimore, making trades education part of Jim’s childhood and family story. After starting his career in investment banking and consulting with organizations including Morgan Stanley, Walt Disney, and McKinsey, Jim returned to those roots by building a company that provided tuition financing for trade school students.

That journey eventually led him to acquire, operate, and scale trade schools himself, including growing one platform from a single location to nine locations across four states over 15 years. Today, through ExecCap Advisors, Jim partners with experienced executives, veterans, and former business owners who want to buy and run companies.

In this episode, Jessi and Jim discuss:

• How Jim’s childhood around a family trade school shaped his entrepreneurial path
• Why trades education matters and why the world does not need everyone to follow the same academic route
• The tension between for-profit and nonprofit education
• What it means to operate ethically in a highly regulated industry
• Why regulation can become a competitive advantage when handled well
• How to build a culture of ethics inside a growing company
• Why regulators should be treated more like customers than enemies
• What changes when a business grows from one location to nine
• Why the right leader at two locations may not be the right leader at nine
• What entrepreneurship through acquisition is and why experienced executives can be strong acquisition entrepreneurs
• Why veterans may be especially well-suited to buying and running businesses
• The people-related challenges that come with buying, scaling, and leading companies

This episode is for entrepreneurs, investors, executives, veterans, business owners, searchers, leaders in regulated industries, and anyone interested in acquisition entrepreneurship, ethical growth, and the human side of scaling a company.

Because growth is not just a financial strategy.

It is a leadership test.

CONNECT WITH JIM

• LinkedIn
• ExecCap Advisors

CONNECT WITH JESSI ON LINKEDIN >>> HERE!

When a student is struggling, they may not go to a counselor first.

They may go to a professor. A coach. A resident director. A staff member. Someone they already know and trust.

In this episode of At Work, Under Pressure, Jessi Beyer sits down with Erin Ruff, an HR leader at the University of Puget Sound and president of the Washington State chapter of CUPA-HR, to talk about mental health, employee wellness, student support, and the unique role HR plays in higher education.

Erin shares how she moved from a global corporation into higher education, what she loves about working in a collaborative university environment, and why supporting faculty and staff directly impacts the care students receive. She also talks about wellness days, menopause book clubs, coaching employees through difficult conversations, the importance of leadership buy-in, and why listening can be one of HR’s most powerful tools.

In this episode, Jessi and Erin discuss:

• Why higher education HR is different from corporate HR
• How faculty and staff often become natural support systems for students
• Why student mental health support depends on employee support
• The emotional toll on resident directors, coaches, student affairs staff, and frontline student support roles
• How HR can support employees without trying to solve every personal problem
• Why listening matters more than many leaders realize
• How wellness days and community-building events help reduce silos
• The unexpected success of a menopause book club on campus
• What CUPA-HR does for higher education HR professionals
• Why leadership buy-in is essential for meaningful staff and student support
• How small morale boosters can build trust, retention, and engagement

This episode is for HR professionals, higher education leaders, faculty, staff, coaches, student affairs professionals, and anyone responsible for supporting people inside complex, mission-driven organizations.

Because students need support.

And so do the people they turn to first.

CONNECT WITH ERIN

• [email protected]
• LinkedIn
• University of Puget Sound
• CUPA-HR
• CUPA-HR Washington Chapter

CONNECT WITH JESSI ON LINKEDIN >>> HERE!

Who takes care of the people who take care of everyone else?

In this episode of At Work, Under Pressure, Jessi Beyer sits down with Memories Mannix, an HR professional with Renton Regional Fire Authority, to talk about first responder mental health, peer support, suicide prevention, workplace culture, and what it looks like to support firefighters from the HR side.

Memories began her career at T-Mobile, working her way from call center roles into HR. That experience taught her how to navigate frustrated callers, assume positive intent, understand the impact behind someone’s anger, and practice self-care in a high-stress environment. Eventually, a mix of organizational change, opportunity, and a desire for mission-driven work led her into the fire service.

Now, at Renton Regional Fire Authority, Memories helps support roughly 200 members, including around 160 uniformed personnel. In this conversation, she shares how the department supports firefighters through physical injuries, administrative burdens, peer support, specialized therapists, and ongoing mental health resources.

In this episode, Jessi and Memories discuss:

• What call center work taught Memories about empathy, impact, and difficult conversations
• Why she transitioned from T-Mobile into HR in the fire service
• How Renton Regional Fire Authority supports firefighters and staff
• Why first responder trauma can feel like a slow drip over time
• How HR can reduce administrative burden when firefighters are injured or struggling
• Why culturally competent therapists matter for first responders
• How Renton’s 24-member peer support team creates multiple points of access
• Why peer support should include members across ranks and roles
• How collaboration between fire agencies can improve mental health support
• What Memories would say to leaders who do not believe workplace suicide prevention matters

This episode is for HR professionals, fire service leaders, first responders, peer support teams, union leaders, public safety agencies, and anyone who wants to better support the people doing high-stress, high-impact work.

Because gratitude is not enough.

First responders need systems that take care of them too.

CONNECT WITH MEMORIES:

• [email protected]
• LinkedIn
• Renton Regional Fire Authority

CONNECT WITH JESSI ON LINKEDIN >>> HERE!

What does it look like for HR to stay human when the workplace keeps changing?

In this episode of At Work, Under Pressure, Jessi Beyer sits down with William West, a people and HR leader whose career has spanned nonprofits, food, chocolate, high-growth tech, remote work, acquisitions, layoffs, and AI-driven workplace change.

William’s path into HR started somewhat unexpectedly. After studying psychology and nonprofit leadership, he joined FareStart in Seattle and found himself leading HR at just 23 years old. Instead of pretending to have every answer, he leaned on curiosity, humility, and transparency — even spending time chopping carrots alongside culinary staff to better understand the work and build trust.

From there, William moved through mission-driven organizations including Theo Chocolate, Tableau, Recharge, and now Wrapbook, where he supports a fully remote workforce across the U.S. and Canada.

In this episode, Jessi and William discuss:

• How William accidentally became an HR leader at 23
• Why curiosity and humility can build trust faster than pretending to know everything
• What HR learns by getting closer to the actual work
• Why HR cannot become robotic, even when compliance matters
• How mission can show up in nonprofits, food companies, and high-growth tech
• What it was like to experience Tableau’s acquisition by Salesforce
• How to handle layoffs in a more human way
• The mental health challenges of remote work, burnout, and blurred boundaries
• How AI is creating new stress and uncertainty for employees
• Why storytelling helps reduce stigma around therapy and workplace mental health
• What William would say to HR leaders who do not believe workplace suicide prevention matters

This episode is for HR leaders, people leaders, founders, managers, tech executives, and anyone who believes work gets better when leaders stay curious, grounded, and human.

Because HR is not just policy.

It is people.

CONNECT WITH WILLIAM

• LinkedIn
• Wrapbook

CONNECT WITH JESSI ON LINKEDIN >>> HERE!

What if the biggest barrier to mental health care is not just cost, coverage, or provider availability — but language?

In this episode of At Work, Under Pressure, Jessi Beyer sits down with Warren Sadler of Therify for a thoughtful, deeply human conversation about emotional literacy, access to therapy, grief, workplace behavioral health benefits, and what it really means to help people find care.

Warren’s path into behavioral health was shaped by personal loss, family grief, healthcare experience, and a deep belief that words matter. After working in healthcare and seeing how difficult it was to find meaningful support even with resources, Warren became increasingly focused on the gap between offering care and actually helping people access it.

Therify works as a care navigation and access company, helping employees connect with behavioral health support through a more personal, concierge-style experience. Instead of leaving employees to figure out therapist directories, insurance eligibility, cost, fit, timing, and availability on their own, Therify helps make the pathway to care clearer and faster.

In this episode, Jessi and Warren discuss:

• Why words matter in mental health, crisis work, and workplace conversations
• How emotional literacy helps people understand and communicate what they are experiencing
• Why mental health care access is more complicated than simply offering benefits
• Warren’s personal experience with grief after losing his father and grandmother close together
• How family, loss, and caregiving shaped his work in behavioral health
• Why therapy matching is about more than credentials or availability
• The difference between being invited to care and actually having a place set for you
• Why employers need to help employees navigate the care journey, not just provide a benefits portal
• How skills like active listening, emotional vocabulary, and basic therapeutic concepts can be taught earlier and more broadly
• What leaders need to understand about the hidden complexity inside every employee’s life

This episode is for HR leaders, benefits professionals, executives, mental health advocates, clinicians, and anyone who has ever wondered why getting help can still feel so hard — even when help technically exists.

Because access is not just having care available.

Access is knowing how to reach it, understand it, and use it.

CONNECT WITH WARREN

• LinkedIn
• Instagram
• Therify

CONNECT WITH JESSI ON LINKEDIN >>> HERE!

What if your workplace communication problem is not actually a communication problem?

In this episode of At Work, Under Pressure, Jessi Beyer sits down with Brandy Ferrer, communication and leadership consultant, founder of Pathfinder Strategies, and creator of the SPARK method.

Jessi first became obsessed with Brandy after seeing the title of one of her SHRM workshop presentations: Stop Being So F***ing Nice. That energy carries through this conversation as they dig into what leaders often get wrong about culture, communication, hard conversations, and employee accountability.

Brandy shares how her early experience inside a strong workplace culture showed her what great leadership could look like — and how later experiences helped her see the gap between stated values and lived behaviors. She explains why so many “communication problems” are really expectation problems, delegation problems, structural problems, or leadership avoidance problems.

In this episode, Jessi and Brandy discuss:

• Why healthy workplace culture is felt more than talked about
• The gap between values on the wall and behaviors on the ground
• Why managers carry so much of the culture employees actually experience
• How leaders can adapt communication without silencing themselves
• Why “I don’t have time” is often a warning sign of a structural problem
• How poor delegation keeps managers stuck in frontline work
• The SPARK method for clearer, shorter, more effective leadership conversations
• How to check in with employees without micromanaging them
• Why real-time feedback reduces anxiety and prevents annual review surprises
• The financial cost of poor workplace communication

This episode is for leaders, HR professionals, managers, executives, founders, and anyone who has ever avoided a hard conversation because they were trying to be nice.

Because nice is not the same thing as clear.

And unclear leadership is expensive.

CONNECT WITH BRANDY

• LinkedIn
• Pathfinder Strategies

CONNECT WITH JESSI ON LINKEDIN >>> HERE!

What if workplace wellness was not about step challenges and generic posters, but about preventing real injuries, improving culture, and helping employees feel better in their bodies every day?

In this episode of At Work, Under Pressure, Jessi Beyer sits down with Cameron Dorn, founder of Suitcase of Courage, elite endurance athlete, triathlon national champion, and three-time Guinness World Record setter.

Cameron’s company helps organizations reduce musculoskeletal injuries by treating employees like industrial athletes. Instead of handing companies a report that sits in a drawer, Suitcase of Courage goes on site, studies real job tasks, uses wearable EMG technology to identify high-risk movement patterns, trains managers to coach safer movement, and builds practical wellness programs employees can actually use.

Jessi and Cameron talk about the business case for workplace wellness, why preventing a shoulder injury is not just a medical issue but an operational issue, and how employee buy-in starts with trust — especially in industries where people have “always done it this way.”

In this episode, Jessi and Cameron discuss:

• Cameron’s three Guinness World Records and how fitness became a pathway to impact
• What “industrial athleticism” means in the workplace
• How Suitcase of Courage helps companies reduce sprains, strains, and musculoskeletal injuries
• Why wellness needs to be tied to operations, not just HR
• How injury prevention saves money on medical costs, overtime, replacement labor, and lost productivity
• Why employee trust matters more than shiny technology
• How wearable EMG technology can identify risky movement before an injury happens
• The role of sleep, hydration, and recovery in workplace safety
• Why culture changes when employees feel better, move better, and show up differently
• What leaders should understand about wellness as both a people issue and a business issue

This episode is for HR leaders, safety professionals, operations leaders, executives, and anyone responsible for keeping people healthy, productive, and safe at work.

Because when employees are the engine of your business, protecting their bodies is not optional.

CONNECT WITH CAMERON

• LinkedIn
• The Suitcase of Courage

CONNECT WITH JESSI ON LINKEDIN >>> HERE!

What does it look like to turn grief into action?

In this episode of At Work, Under Pressure, Jessi Beyer sits down with Nicole Jones-Vogel, a suicide prevention advocate, AFSP Washington State board member, policy and veteran subcommittee co-lead, and public servant working in Pierce County.

Nicole lost her father to suicide 20 years ago. In this deeply personal conversation, she shares how that loss shaped her life, why suicide grief can be so complex, and how advocacy became part of her healing and purpose.

Nicole talks about her work with the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, including community walks, advocacy days, state-level policy work, national advocacy in Washington, D.C., and efforts to advance bridge barrier legislation. She also shares why community matters so much after suicide loss, what she wishes she could tell her younger self, and why suicide prevention must include both personal support and structural change.

In this episode, Jessi and Nicole discuss:

• Nicole’s experience losing her father to suicide 20 years ago
• Why suicide grief can feel unpredictable, complicated, and hard to explain
• The importance of being gentle with yourself after suicide loss
• How AFSP helped Nicole find community without pressure to explain everything
• Why bridge barriers and lethal means restriction are critical suicide prevention tools
• How suicide attempts and crises impact first responders, families, commuters, and communities
• What it is like to advocate for suicide prevention legislation in Olympia and Washington, D.C.
• Why bipartisan suicide prevention policy matters
• How one person’s story can become part of a larger movement to save lives

This episode is for suicide loss survivors, HR leaders, public servants, first responders, policymakers, workplace leaders, and anyone who has been touched by suicide.

Because grief does not disappear.

But together, we continue.

CONNECT WITH NICOLE

• LinkedIn
• American Foundation for Suicide Prevention
• Nicole's Story of Loss
• Pierce County Suicide Prevention Summit on September 18, 2026
• Pierce County Suicide Prevention Walk Fundraiser

CONNECT WITH JESSI ON LINKEDIN >>> HERE!

What does workplace culture look like when it is more than a slogan?

In this episode of At Work, Under Pressure, Jessi Beyer sits down with Dacon Hayes and Maddy Kristjanson from the HR team at Plymouth Poultry, a Washington-based food redistributor with nearly 90 years of history, hundreds of employees, and a culture rooted in taking care of people.

From monthly food gifts and employee massages to mental health support, family-centered values, and a leadership team that actually knows its people, Plymouth Poultry offers a real-world example of what it means to build culture before crisis hits.

Dacon and Maddy talk about what it was like to help lead employees through COVID, rapid growth, acquisitions, geographic expansion, and deeply human challenges like grief, suicide, financial hardship, isolation, and mental health struggles. They also share how Plymouth’s values — family, customer first, do what’s right, and own it — show up in everyday decisions, especially when things get hard.

In this episode, Jessi, Maddy, and Dacon discuss:

• How Plymouth Poultry grew from a small chicken-and-egg business into a large regional food redistributor
• Why long-term retention starts with genuinely taking care of employees
• What “family culture” looks like when it is backed by real action
• How HR helped the company navigate COVID, isolation, safety concerns, and employee pushback
• Why listening mattered when employees raised concerns about workplace safety
• How leaders can justify spending money on culture, wellness, and employee connection
• What onboarding has to do with culture integration after acquisitions
• Why mental health support works best when leaders know their people well enough to notice changes
• The HR skills Dacon and Maddy use most: active listening and problem-solving

This episode is for HR professionals, executives, founders, safety leaders, and anyone who has ever wondered whether investing in culture actually matters.

Because when pressure hits, employees remember whether your values were real.

CONNECT WITH DACON AND MADDY

• LinkedIn (Dacon)
• LinkedIn (Maddy)
• Plymouth Poultry