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/ 

In this episode of Built by People Leaders, host Daria Rudnik sits down with Jim Carlough — Leadership Identity Architect and author of The Six Pillars of Effective Leadership. With over 30 years of experience scaling organizations from $100M to $1B, Jim shares a powerful perspective: leadership isn’t about skills alone — it’s about identity.

Together, they explore why most managers fail not because they lack knowledge, but because they never evolve into leaders. Jim breaks down his proven “Six Pillars” framework and explains how organizations can build strong, loyal, and high-performing teams — even in times of uncertainty and change.

From reducing attrition to creating psychologically safe environments, this conversation is packed with practical insights for CEOs, HR leaders, and anyone responsible for developing talent at scale.

Key Takeaways:

https://www.jimcarlough.com

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

Chapters

00:00 Introduction to Leadership Development

02:50 The Importance of Building Leaders

05:47 Corporate Culture and Leadership Responsibility

08:50 The Six Pillars of Effective Leadership

09:47 Integrity: The Cornerstone of Leadership

13:44 Compassion and Empathy in Leadership

21:43 Stability and Focus in Leadership

26:38 The Role of Humor in Leadership

29:20 Personal Insights and Rapid Fire Questions

In this episode of the Build by People Leaders podcast, host Daria Rudnik speaks with Monica Duque, senior people leader and AI transformation driver, about what it really takes to build an AI-first organization.

Drawing from her hands-on experience transforming a company through AI, Monica shares how HR can move from a support function to the driver of organizational change. Instead of waiting to be invited to the table, she explains why HR must lead by example — starting with its own processes, automating workflows, and proving impact through measurable results.

The conversation explores how AI is reshaping not just tools, but entire organizational structures. Monica introduces the concept of “blended teams” — combining full-time employees, AI agents, and fractional experts — and explains why this model is becoming essential for modern companies.

They also dive into the practical side of AI adoption: how to train non-technical teams, run internal AI challenges, and create a culture of experimentation that actually delivers ROI.

Finally, Monica shares her “secret recipe” for successful AI transformation — and why the real challenge is not technology, but mindset.

https://www.influur.com/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/m%C3%B3nica-duque-est%C3%A9vez/ 

Chapters

00:00 Introduction to AI-Ready Organizations

07:37 Measuring AI Transformation Success

16:14 Framework for AI Deployment

23:53 Mental Health and Cybersecurity in AI

In this episode of the Build by People Leaders podcast, host Daria Rudnik speaks with Kurt Uhlir, CMO and growth operator, about what truly changes when companies move from startup chaos to scalable systems.

Drawing from his experience scaling companies to hundreds of millions in revenue, Kurt shares why the very traits that make founders successful early on often become the bottleneck at the next stage. He explains the critical shift from directive leadership to outcome-driven, servant leadership — and why scaling requires systems, not heroics.

The conversation explores how companies can introduce structure without killing speed, why documentation is not bureaucracy but a foundation for clarity, and how leaders must rethink hiring and team design as complexity grows.

Kurt also shares a candid perspective on AI in organizations — why most companies are getting it wrong, what roles are actually changing, and why human judgment is becoming more important, not less.

Finally, the episode dives into one of the most overlooked leadership skills: speaking the language of business. Kurt explains how misalignment in language — even in hiring — can lead to costly mistakes, and why HR and leaders must learn to translate their work into business outcomes to earn trust at the executive level.

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

Chapters

00:00 Introduction to AI-Ready Leadership

01:11 Kurt Uhlir's Nonlinear Journey to CMO

02:52 Enterprise vs. Scale-Up: Leadership Differences

06:15 The Importance of Documentation in Growth

09:41 Navigating Leadership Changes During Funding Rounds

11:46 Curiosity in Leadership: Understanding Team Dynamics

15:13 AI's Impact on Team Dynamics and Roles

18:58 The Perception of HR in AI Transformation

21:48 Speaking the Language of Business

26:55 Lost in Translation: The Importance of Clarity

In this episode of the Build by People Leaders podcast, host Daria Rudnik speaks with Diana Abdrahmanova, organizational architect, strategic HR advisor, and former Head of HR, about what it really takes for HR to become a true business driver.

Drawing from her experience leading HR in fast-growing companies and complex M&A environments across regions, Diana shares how the role of HR must evolve from operational support to strategic partnership. She explains why HR professionals need to stop thinking like “HR” and start thinking like business leaders — understanding financial models, market dynamics, and how companies actually make money.

The conversation dives into one of the toughest parts of leadership — managing uncertainty and transformation. Diana shares practical insights on navigating acquisitions, dealing with disengaged teams, and why transparency (even when the truth is uncomfortable) is the most powerful tool leaders have.

They also explore the real impact of AI on HR, shifting the function from administrative execution to organizational architecture, and discuss why many CEOs still don’t see HR as a strategic partner — and how to change that.

Finally, Diana shares a powerful perspective on leadership: how HR can help CEOs become more human, more vulnerable, and ultimately more effective by engaging people instead of trying to lead alone.

https://dianabdrakhmanova.com/ 

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

Chapters

00:00 Introduction to HR and AI in Leadership

02:46 Diana's Journey in HR

05:37 Transformations and Challenges in HR

08:35 Creating Engagement in Acquisitions

11:33 The Value of Transparency in HR

14:25 The Role of HR in Business Success

17:07 AI's Impact on HR

20:05 Bridging the Gap Between HR and CEOs

22:44 Final Thoughts and Surprising Trades in HR