This week on the Traci explores what it really means to be cynical at work with Hywel Berry, CEO and founder of Alicorn Learning.

A veteran of corporate leadership, sales, and organizational training, Hywel challenges the narrative that cynicism is inherently toxic—and argues that some of the most valuable people in your organization might just be the ones asking tough questions.

Throughout this conversation, you'll discover how to harness skepticism as a leadership tool, understand why tone matters more than words, and learn what "realistic optimism" actually looks like when everything feels impossible.

What we cover:

• The cynic paradox
• Challenging without being dismissive
• Tone as strategy
• Realistic optimism in action
• The role of the natural cynic
• Speaking up safely
• Feedback meets cynicisI
• Intention versus impact
• Code switching for leaders
• Moving the needle forward

Connect with Hywel Berry:

Website: alicornlearning.com | LinkedIn 

Connect with Traci:

https://linktr.ee/HRTraci

Disclaimer: Thoughts, opinions, and statements made on this podcast are not a reflection of the thoughts, opinions, and statements of the Company by whom Traci Chernoff is actively employed.

Please note that this episode may contain paid endorsements and advertisements for products or services. Individuals on the show may have a direct or indirect financial interest in products or services referred to in this episode.

This week, Traci welcomes Karen Worthy, an executive career transition coach who helps leaders accelerate their job search and land their dream roles often in half the time of their peers.

Karen unpacks why building community and leveraging your network is the most powerful tool in your career transition toolkit.

What We Cover:

• Your personal "champions list" and how it opens doors across companies, not just within them

• Why the person you talked to three years ago at a training class can be your secret career weapon

• The three communities you should be part of at any given time

• How to network when you're terrified of reaching out to someone you barely remember

• The transferable skills framework that helped Karen go from engineering to HR

• Breaking into HR (or any new field) when job postings require experience you don't have yet

• Why "applying off the street" is only 5-10% successful and what actually works

• The gym buddy, the neighbor's son, and other weak ties that landed real interviews

• How to identify and articulate your transferable skills in a new career

• The difference between having one amazing mentor and building multiple supportive communities

Connect with Karen Worthy:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/karenworthy/

Website: https://www.worthycareerp­aths.com/

Connect with Traci here:

https://linktr.ee/HRTraci

Disclaimer: Thoughts, opinions, and statements made on this podcast are not a reflection of the thoughts, opinions, and statements of the Company by whom Traci Chernoff is actively employed.

Please note that this episode may contain paid endorsements and advertisements for products or services. Individuals on the show may have a direct or indirect financial interest in products or services referred to in this episode.

This episode is all about taking control of your own career development instead of waiting for your manager to hand you opportunities.

Traci shares personal lessons learned from influential leaders and her own journey as both an HR professional and podcast founder. You'll walk away understanding that career growth—whether vertical promotions or horizontal skill-building—is ultimately your responsibility, not your manager's.

As part of our greatest hits replay series, we're revisiting this powerful solo episode that continues to resonate with our audience about owning your career destiny.

Spoiler alert: The best way to get promoted isn't to ask your manager to promote you. It's to demonstrate you're already ready for more.

What We Cover:

– Your development is your own—taking ownership as the first step toward growth

– Why managers can't (and shouldn't) solve your career problems for you

– The distinction between vertical growth and horizontal growth—and why you need both

– How to shift from "I want more" to "Here's what I'm doing to get there"

– The role of self-awareness and honest feedback partners in identifying your gaps

– Mentorship, stretch assignments, and seeking feedback as accelerators

– Why advocating for yourself matters—especially when negotiating salary

– Setting boundaries without sacrificing your value or contribution

– Aligning your career vision with your life goals so they work together, not against each other

– How filling your own tank outside of work fuels your performance inside of work

Key Quote: "Our development is our own. We own every stage of our development. If I want to do more, I can do more. If I want to go beyond the scope of my role, I can go beyond the scope of my role."

Connect with Traci here: https://linktr.ee/HRTraci

Disclaimer: Thoughts, opinions, and statements made on this podcast are not a reflection of the thoughts, opinions, and statements of the Company by whom Traci Chernoff is actively employed.

Please note that this episode may contain paid endorsements and advertisements for products or services. Individuals on the show may have a direct or indirect financial interest in products or services referred to in this episode.

Traci sits down with Chris Hamilton, a benefits consultant who specializes in helping employers cut through the noise of rising healthcare costs, to dig into what's really driving the hardest insurance market in 15 years. 

If you sat through open enrollment this year wondering why insurance premiums jumped 20% when you thought it would be single digits, this episode reveals why—and what you can actually do about it.

Chris walks through the misaligned incentives that make traditional insurance companies profit when your costs rise, exposes waste hiding in your current plan (like medications available for $300 being charged at $1,000), and breaks down why Wells Fargo and Johnson & Johnson ended up in fiduciary duty lawsuits over benefits decisions. 

But the real value is the concrete timeline and strategy for what to do starting this month—not waiting until August—to completely reshape your 2026 renewal and actually improve coverage while reducing costs.

Contact Information:

Connect with Chris Hamilton: Website | LinkedIn | YouTube | The Insider Playbook

Connect with Traci here: https://linktr.ee/HRTraci

Disclaimer: Thoughts, opinions, and statements made on this podcast are not a reflection of the thoughts, opinions, and statements of the Company by whom Traci Chernoff is actively employed.

Please note that this episode may contain paid endorsements and advertisements for products or services. Individuals on the show may have a direct or indirect financial interest in products or services referred to in this episode.

Traci shares an exciting update about the podcast's production plans for 2026.

What You'll Hear:

• A peek at the production schedule and what's planned for the coming months

• Why Policy Pulse episodes will return in the summer with new content

• An invitation to share what topics and guests you want to hear about

• A sneak peek at next week's episode on insurance and benefits

Connect with Traci here: https://linktr.ee/HRTraci 

Disclaimer: Thoughts, opinions, and statements made on this podcast are not a reflection of the thoughts, opinions, and statements of the Company by whom Traci Chernoff is actively employed.

Please note that this episode may contain paid endorsements and advertisements for products or services. Individuals on the show may have a direct or indirect financial interest in products or services referred to in this episode.

This episode unpacks the real danger of a female-dominated profession being policed through male eyes, the seismic shift happening with NLRB independence, and what HR leaders need to prepare for as workplace regulation becomes a political ping-pong ball. Bryan breaks down why the next few years will be anything but predictable for your compliance calendar.

What We Cover

– The Michigan firefighter bra inspection case and why "professionalism" is being weaponized to keep workplaces male-dominated

 – Why this case matters even though it shouldn't exist—and how past court rulings could doom the firefighter's lawsuit

 – The NLRB's loss of independence and what it means when presidents can fire board members at will

– How decades of stable labor policy will now swing with every election cycle 

– The real difference between independent agency oversight and direct presidential control 

– Why rapid policy reversals in employment law will crush compliance predictability 

– Union membership trends: will the NLRB chaos actually drive more unionization or accelerate decline? 

– Bryan's three bold bets for 2026: AI implementation, AI discrimination issues, and te blue state/red state divide 

– The impossibility of creating one handbook that works across incompatible state laws 

– Why HR is the only department in the room protecting the human impact of business decisions

Connect with Bryan here: ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/bryanjohndriscoll/⁠

Connect with Traci here: ⁠https://linktr.ee/HRTraci

⁠ 

Disclaimer: Thoughts, opinions, and statements made on this podcast are not a reflection of the thoughts, opinions, and statements of the Company by whom Traci Chernoff is actively employed.

Please note that this episode may contain paid endorsements and advertisements for products or services. Individuals on the show may have a direct or indirect financial interest in products or services referred to in this episode.

This week, Traci sits down for a solo catch-up to address the elephant in the room: the influx of obviously AI-generated resumes and job applications flooding inboxes. Plus, this is our last episode of 2025, so you won't want to miss this episode!

What starts as a cautionary tale about resume fraud becomes a deeper conversation about reputation, confidence, and why the "spray and pray" approach to your career is actually costing you more than it saves.

Whether you're tempted to let AI write your resume from scratch, use automated job application services, or lean on generative tools during interviews, this episode challenges the all-or-nothing thinking that's driving so many job seekers to compromise their credibility before they even get in the door.

What We Cover:

– The telltale signs of AI-generated resumes (generic language, zero personality, missing data points)

– Why perfect keyword matching actually hurts your chances despite what you think about ATS systems

– The reputation damage that never really goes away in smaller industries

– The interview nightmare scenario: claiming experience you don't actually have

– How one hiring manager caught a candidate using AI mid-interview (spoiler: the camera angle was a dead giveaway)

– Why automated job application services are just spray-and-pray without the actual effectiveness

– The difference between using AI as a prep tool versus letting AI replace your thinking entirely

– How to leverage AI ethically—workbook prep, question practice, resume critique—without faking your way through applications

– The real thing that lands jobs: being prepared, being specific, being YOU

– The competitive job market pressure that's driving candidates to abandon authenticity

Connect with Traci here: https://linktr.ee/HRTraci

For resume support, interview prep, or career coaching, reach out: https://hrtraci.com/career-services 

Disclaimer: Thoughts, opinions, and statements made on this podcast are not a reflection of the thoughts, opinions, and statements of the Company by whom Traci Chernoff is actively employed.

Please note that this episode may contain paid endorsements and advertisements for products or services. Individuals on the show may have a direct or indirect financial interest in products or services referred to in this episode.

Join Traci and Emily Erstad, author of It's Not That Deep, regional operations strategist, executive director in hospice, and soulful leadership coach, as they explore how to break free from the mental loops that keep us stuck—and still lead with heart.

Spoiler alert: Being a deep thinker and deep feeler is a gift, but staying there indefinitely is the problem.

Emily unpacks why so many high-achieving leaders and HR professionals get trapped in what she calls the "doom loop"—where perfectionism, overthinking, and taking ourselves too seriously becomes the very thing that blocks our progress. You'll discover how to leverage emotional intelligence without letting it become an excuse for avoiding accountability, and why boundaries and vulnerability aren't opposites—they're both essential to building trust.

What We Cover:

– The doom loop that keeps deep thinkers trapped in unproductive cycles

– Perfectionism as a self-diminisher and team drainer

– Trauma dumping versus authentically sharing hard things

– Why "triggered" has replaced actual disagreement and conversation

– Setting boundaries without sacrificing your authenticity or kindness

– The difference between over-empathy and strategic compassion in leadership

– Culture is about knowing your team's limits, not pizza parties

– Using vulnerability strategically to build trust and transparency

– The next frontier in leadership: moving beyond "emotions are valid" to action

– Observation and reflection as the antidote to reactive leadership

Key Quote: "You are important, but you're not that important. You're adding a lot of responsibility to yourself that's so unnecessary, and it's just going to drive you nuts. And you being driven nuts is not productive." – Emily Erstad

Connect with Emily Erstad:

Website: https://eepublications.com 

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/itsnotthatdeep_author/

LinkedIn:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/emily-erstad-m-a-ccc-slp-381346135/

Book: It's Not That Deep  

Connect with Traci here:

https://linktr.ee/HRTraci

Disclaimer: Thoughts, opinions, and statements made on this podcast are not a reflection of the thoughts, opinions, and statements of the Company by whom Traci Chernoff is actively employed.

Please note that this episode may contain paid endorsements and advertisements for products or services. Individuals on the show may have a direct or indirect financial interest in products or services referred to in this episode.

This week, Traci sits down with Dr. Greg Giuliano, founder of GA Ultra Leadership and executive coach to senior leaders worldwide. For nearly 30 years, Greg has been helping leaders understand that the way they lead directly impacts whether people show up engaged or just show up.

Spoiler alert: That micromanaging leader you're frustrated with? Their anxiety is driving every decision—and you're probably doing the exact same thing to your team without realizing it.

Greg unpacks why leaders accidentally slip into command and control despite genuinely wanting to empower their teams, and shares the coaching framework that transforms how managers lead. He reveals the drama triangle that plays out in every workplace, explains why anxiety masquerades as micromanagement, and gives leaders the tools to shift from managing and telling to coaching and empowering.

What We Cover:

– The drama triangle that runs every workplace

– Why micromanagement is anxiety wearing a business suit

– The mama bird trap leaders fall into

– Coaching versus telling and why one actually works

– How to create your own team culture inside a broken system

– The question that reveals what kind of leader you really want to be

– Why the post-pandemic workforce won't tolerate command and control

– How to actually make the shift from managing to coaching

– The 10-minute framework that proves coaching isn't complicated

– When you stop coaching and start managing instead

Key Quote:

"My job is to empower these people and the best way to empower people is to coach them." – Dr. Greg Giuliano

Connect with Dr. Greg Giuliano:

LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/greg-giuliano 

Podcast: Ultra Leadership (new video every week) 

Website: ultraleadership.com

Books: Coaching for a Change, The Next Normal, Ultra Leadership, The Hero's Journey

Connect with Traci here:

https://linktr.ee/HRTraci

Disclaimer: Thoughts, opinions, and statements made on this podcast are not a reflection of the thoughts, opinions, and statements of the Company by whom Traci Chernoff is actively employed.

Please note that this episode may contain paid endorsements and advertisements for products or services. Individuals on the show may have a direct or indirect financial interest in products or services referred to in this episode.

This week, Traci connects with Renaud Delaquis, Head of Product Marketing at Coastline Academy, the nation's largest driving school scaling across 500+ cities.

Spoiler alert: What if your biggest hiring problem was actually a revenue problem in disguise?

When Renaud noticed a tiny dip in quality metrics—just 1%—he could've ignored it. Instead, he discovered something most marketing leaders never see: the direct correlation between who you hire and what your customers experience. That realization led him to partner with recruiting and completely rethink how Coastline attracts, screens, and retains driving instructors.

What We Cover:

– The moment a marketing leader realized recruiting was his problem too

– Why a 1% quality drop led to an entirely new hiring system

– How to find people who don't know they want the job

– The personality trait that actually predicts success (and it's not what you think)

– Turning your best employees into organic brand ambassadors

– Making the business case to leadership with numbers that stick

– Why happy employees are literally your greatest product

Key Quote:

"The best product that you have are happy employees. When you invest in your best product, your employees, all of your other products will totally start to rise to the occasion." – Renaud Delaquis

Connect with Renaud Delaquis:

Website: https://www.instagram.com/coastlineacademy

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/coastlineacademyFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/coastlineacademyYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCPruykTxAWpwh8i1GK-U1kA

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@coastline.academyRenaud on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/renaud-delaquis/

Connect with Traci here:

https://linktr.ee/HRTraci

Disclaimer: Thoughts, opinions, and statements made on this podcast are not a reflection of the thoughts, opinions, and statements of the Company by whom Traci Chernoff is actively employed.

Please note that this episode may contain paid endorsements and advertisements for products or services. Individuals on the show may have a direct or indirect financial interest in products or services referred to in this episode.