Ted Forbes, co-author of Making HR Matter: What CEOs Want and How to Deliver It, spent 25 years running HR functions at companies ranging from United Airlines (85,000 employees) to the startup Cotopaxi (70 to 300 employees). Ted introduces the "Relevant HR" framework and income statement thinking—a method that connects every people decision directly to EBITDA and cash flow. Ted started in consulting on merger integration before moving into HR at Capital One after the 1991 downturn.

For People teams in scaling companies, Ted addresses the moment when HR can no longer justify its work by activity alone. As headcount grows, leadership demands proof that talent, development, and well-being spend moves financial outcomes. Ted explains how to translate HR work into the numbers executives already track.

Links & Resources Mentioned:

In this episode of Built by People Leaders, host Daria Rudnik sits down with Ed Howard, founder of One Breath Leadership and author of the One Breath Leadership book and app. Ed spent 20 years as a global compliance executive in investment banking before combining that high-stakes corporate experience with three decades of Zen training to create practical micro-recovery tools for corporate skeptics.

Together, they break down how sustained stress physically alters our cognitive state, and how people leaders can help executives maintain decision quality, emotional regulation, and sanity without needing hours out of their packed calendars.

The One-Breath Rule: Demystifying meditation by stripping it down to the bare bones—breath, mind, and attention—to switch the brain out of "cognitive wheel-spinning."

Trigger-Based Habit Stacking: How to spread micro-recovery throughout a 12-hour day by anchoring a single deep breath to existing operational triggers like opening a laptop, sitting at a desk, or getting into an elevator.

The Professional Athlete Model: Shifting the executive culture from performative, fear-based busyness to a high-performance framework where recovery is valued just as much as performance.

Links & Resources Mentioned:

In this episode of the Built by People Leaders podcast, host Daria Rudnik speaks with Marina Morgan, fractional strategy leader, executive facilitator, and founder of AIQ Impact, about why successful transformation depends less on technology and more on human and organizational readiness. Marina shares insights from her journey across corporate leadership in Russia and her transition to entrepreneurship in Silicon Valley, where she now builds the AIQ framework for measuring how prepared organizations are for AI adoption. The conversation explores how leadership mindset shapes organizational culture, why strategy cycles are shrinking in the age of AI, and how companies must rethink adaptability as a core capability. Marina also reflects on the challenges of scaling organizations in a non-linear environment, the importance of aligning executives around execution rather than planning, and why enjoyment and neurophysiological well-being are essential for creativity, resilience, and sustainable performance in fast-changing systems.

Takeaways

https://www.linkedin.com/in/marinamorgan-sf

aiqimpact.com

In this episode of the Built by People Leaders podcast, host Daria Rudnik speaks with Anastasia Minko, Senior HR Project Manager at Smart Europe, about how HR leadership changes across cultures, industries, and stages of company growth. Drawing from her experience in global corporations, fast-growing tech companies, and German organizations, Anastasia shares practical insights on navigating complexity in international HR, building systems that support business growth, and why leadership culture matters more than processes alone. The conversation explores the differences between German and Russian management cultures, the role of HR in creating business structure without overcomplicating processes, and why leadership behavior during difficult moments shapes employees far more than formal policies. Anastasia also reflects on coaching, organizational maturity, psychological safety, and how leaders can create environments where disagreement stays productive rather than personal.

Takeaways

https://de.smart.com/de/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/anastasia-minko/

In this episode of the Built by People Leaders podcast, host Daria Rudnik speaks with Chris Farr, Operations Executive at Invision Technologies, about leadership, organizational growth, and how HR can become a true operational partner during periods of rapid change and AI transformation. Drawing from his experience leading teams in the MSP and technology space, Chris shares practical insights on scaling businesses without losing culture, building trust during uncertainty, and why communication is the foundation of effective leadership.

The conversation explores how HR supports growth far beyond hiring — through onboarding, process building, coaching leaders through difficult conversations, and helping organizations maintain alignment during constant change. Chris also discusses the importance of leaders listening to employees instead of making decisions in isolation, and why trust must be built long before companies face restructuring, mergers, or other difficult transitions.

www.invtech.com

https://www.linkedin.com/in/chris-farr-409b3585/

Chapters

00:00 Introduction to the Podcast and Guest

01:08 Chris Farr's Leadership Journey

01:58 The Role of HR in Organizational Growth

03:15 Strategic Support from HR

04:25 Shared Responsibility for Company Culture

04:55 Successful HR Partnerships

06:07 Collaboration Between HR and Business Leaders

06:56 Finding Balance in HR Leadership

08:18 The Essence of Great Leadership

09:36 Learning from Leadership Experiences

10:31 Navigating Change in Fast-Growing Companies

11:05 Supporting Employees Through Change

12:25 Handling Uncertainty and Transparency

14:58 AI's Impact on Workplaces

16:01 AI as a Tool for Efficiency

17:52 AI Adoption in Organizations

20:19 The Role of AI Officers

22:17 HR's Role in AI Transformation

24:04 Building AI Governance

25:01 Rapid Fire Questions and Conclusion

In this episode of the Built by People Leaders podcast, host Daria Rudnik speaks with John Pezoulas, co-founder and managing partner of Ready Set Exec, about the realities of executive hiring in startups and scaling companies. With from more than 20 years in recruitment and executive search, John shares why recruiting is ultimately about helping people find opportunities where they can succeed — not just filling roles. The conversation explores how startups often overhire for titles they don’t actually need yet, why great recruiters rely more on curiosity and research than industry background alone, and how executive turnover can quietly damage business momentum and team trust. John also explains why founders need to balance ambition with realistic compensation, how employer branding became essential for attracting senior talent, and why companies should treat recruitment as a long-term culture-building exercise rather than a transactional process.

Takeaways

https://www.linkedin.com/in/johnpezoulas/

readysetexec.com

Chapters

00:00 Introduction to Recruitment and Career Paths

02:22 The Satisfaction of Recruitment

05:38 Understanding the Role of Recruiters

06:27 The Importance of Industry Knowledge

10:09 Consultation and Strategy in Executive Search

14:29 Navigating Startup Hiring Challenges

20:01 Retention of Executive Leaders

23:50 The Cost of Turnover in Leadership

26:52 Onboarding and Team Dynamics

27:50 Job Market Predictions for 2026

In this episode of the Built by People Leaders podcast, host Daria Rudnik speaks with Jason Aydelott, Fractional Chief Learning Officer and L&D strategist, about how Learning & Development can evolve from a cost center into a measurable business driver. Drawing on over 25 years of experience, Jason explains why most L&D functions struggle to prove impact—and how shifting from content creation to performance consulting changes everything.

The conversation explores how to align learning initiatives with real business KPIs, why measurement should not start with tools but with design, and how L&D leaders can influence decision-making by asking better questions instead of pushing solutions. Jason also shares a practical example of redesigning onboarding to cut training time in half while doubling speed to proficiency.

The episode also dives into the future of work in the age of AI—how organizational structures are flattening, why individual contributors are becoming managers of AI agents, and why “soft skills” should be reframed as critical human skills that drive business outcomes.

Takeaways

You’ll also learn how AI is reshaping leadership, why “soft skills” should be redefined as human skills, and how L&D leaders can step into a strategic role within the organization.

https://jasonaydelott.com/ 

https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasonaydelott/ 

In this episode of Built By People Leaders, Daria Rudnik sits down with Ochuko Dasimaka, Career Strategist, HR Leader, and Founder of Career Heights Consulting, to explore what it really takes to build a successful career—and lead people through complex organizational change.

With experience across global companies like Shell, Amazon, Unilever, and Rio Tinto, Ochuko shares her perspective on navigating large-scale transformations, including restructurings and business closures, while maintaining trust, transparency, and dignity for employees.

The conversation dives into the evolving role of HR as a strategic partner, not just a support function, and how leaders can take real ownership during difficult moments like layoffs and organizational shifts. Ochuko also brings her expertise in career coaching, sharing how professionals can take control of their career paths and position themselves for long-term growth.

Key topics include:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/ochukodasimaka

Www.careerheights.org 

https://www.instagram.com/careerheights/

What happens when success is no longer enough?

In this deeply personal and thought-provoking conversation, Daria Rudnik speaks with Catherine Dudtschak—former banking CEO turned Conscious Leadership Advisor—about the hidden cost of high performance and the journey toward authentic, essence-led leadership.

After more than 30 years in executive leadership, Catherine shares how burnout, identity suppression, and a personal breaking point led her to redefine leadership—not as control or performance, but as integration, presence, and purpose.

Together, they explore what it really takes to build human-centered organizations, why most companies still operate from fear, and how leaders can move toward a more sustainable, inclusive, and regenerative way of working.

This episode is for leaders who have mastered the external game—and are ready for something deeper.

https://sincerelykatherine.com/ 

https://www.linkedin.com/in/katherine-dudtschak-icd-d-7673a036/ 

Chapters

In this episode of Built By People Leaders, Daria Rudnik speaks with Daniela Morein Bar, Founder of Inspired Marketing, about how employer branding has evolved into a critical growth function for modern companies.

Daniela shares how her background in B2B marketing led her to build recruitment marketing systems for tech companies like Teva, HiBob, and Intel. She explains why employer branding is no longer just about messaging—but about uncovering a company’s real DNA and turning it into a structured, measurable talent acquisition engine.

Together, they explore how companies can align HR and marketing, build recruitment funnels from awareness to retention, and why “controlling the narrative” is essential in a transparent digital world. Daniela also breaks down how startups and enterprises approach employer branding differently, and how AI is reshaping—but not replacing—human creativity in the process.

Key Takeaways:

A practical, strategic conversation for HR leaders, talent teams, and founders building companies in fast-changing markets.

https://www.inspiredmarketing.co.il/ 

https://www.linkedin.com/in/danielamoreinbar/