Fireside Chats: Behind The Build

In this episode of MustardHub Voices: Behind the Build, Curtis Forbes talks with Jocelyn King, founder and CEO of Virgil HR, a SaaS platform helping HR professionals make compliant decisions in real time. Jocelyn shares her path from philosophy major to HR executive to tech founder… and how her frustration with the complexity of labor laws sparked the idea for Virgil HR.

Curtis and Jocelyn explore where companies most often go wrong—from wage errors to employee misclassification—and why compliance mistakes can be devastating for small businesses.

Jocelyn also looks ahead to how AI and predictive risk tools will reshape HR, and why leaders must invest in upskilling, tech literacy, and organizational change readiness. Her practical take on building adaptable, forward-thinking teams makes this a must-listen for anyone shaping the next era of HR.

About Jocelyn:

Jocelyn King is the CEO and Founder of VirgilHR, a SaaS platform that helps HR professionals make compliant employment decisions in real time through an intelligent chatbot that delivers instant employment and labor law guidance. With a career dedicated to human resources, she has supported both high-growth startups and public companies, building deep expertise across all areas of HR, including serving as the Vice President of North America, Human Resources for Ocado Group and Vice President of Human Resources for Cybrary. Jocelyn is recognized for her ability to develop HR strategy, manage multi-state and global employee relations, and foster diverse, high-performing cultures. Her long-standing experience in the technology sector has strengthened her understanding of how tech and HR intersect, enabling her to lead VirgilHR into the future of HR innovation.

Greg Fulk’s career has spanned military service, commercial land development, wealth management, and even a side hustle building saunas—but it was a knock at the door from the FBI that changed everything. That moment led Greg to create OrgIQ, a proactive workforce intelligence platform that gives HR teams unprecedented visibility into what’s happening inside their organizations. In this episode, Greg shares with Curtis how a $5 million fraud case exposed blind spots in internal communication—and how AI can now uncover the patterns humans miss. He explains OrgIQ’s three-layer approach: lightning-fast search, meta-analysis of communication patterns, and sentiment tagging, which together help HR identify both risks and hidden cultural strengths. Greg also reflects on how this technology helps overcome common management biases, like recency effects in reviews, and empowers HR to act with the same clarity and foresight once reserved for compliance teams.

About Greg:

Greg is an accomplished executive known for blending strategic vision with hands-on leadership. He has a diverse background which ranges from military service to commercial land development to wealth management. In his current role as CEO and Founder of Org IQ, he helps HR and Execs find the very best (and very worst) of what's happening inside their company.

Zech Dahms didn’t set out to become a culture strategist. Initially fascinated by zoology, his curiosity for human behavior eventually led him to organizational psychology—and to a career centered on transforming workplace experience. As President of Achieve Engagement and Head of Community at the EX Leadership Network, Zech helps HR leaders turn strategy into measurable impact. In this conversation with Curtis, Zech traces his journey from people officer roles to advisory work to leading a global HR community, sharing how intentional design—not chance—shapes employee experience. He explains how Achieve Engagement equips leaders with frameworks, peer-to-peer learning, and strategic playbooks that help organizations tackle performance and retention challenges. They also explore the power of community as a force multiplier for HR leaders, especially those operating solo or in lean teams. Zech’s insights show how culture, when intentionally cultivated, can unlock both individual growth and organizational transformation.

About Zech:

Zech Dahms is President of Achieve Engagement and Head of Community & EX Strategy for the EX Leadership Network, where he helps HR leaders turn employee experience into measurable business outcomes.He has designed and led 200+ programs and convenes 75+ annual masterclasses, webcasts, and Leadership EXchanges for a 30,000+ HR community. Zech’s work focuses on building AI-enabled, skills-based organizations, strategic employee listening, and performance cultures that scale. On stage and in advisory roles, he’s known for practical frameworks, peer-to-peer learning, and bold, actionable playbooks that move teams from strategy to execution.

Nat Salvione has spent more than two decades in the gift card and rewards industry, and his passion for the work hasn’t dimmed. As Chief Commercial Officer at GiftBit, Nat leads the company’s expansion and partnerships while championing a simpler, more meaningful approach to incentives. In this episode, Nat and Curtis dive into why gift cards have a uniquely lasting impact compared to cash, drawing on compelling studies that show how employees remember not just receiving a gift card—but what they earned it for and how they used it. Nat reflects on his journey from reviewing fraud transactions in the early 2000s to shaping modern employee recognition programs, sharing personal stories that highlight the emotional resonance of well-designed rewards. Together, they examine where most recognition programs miss the mark, how companies can remove friction while staying financially sound, and why understanding individuals—not just budgets—is the key to building recognition that truly sticks.

About Nat:

Nat Salvione is the Chief Commercial Officer at Giftbit, a digital rewards and incentives platform that helps organizations connect more meaningfully with customers, employees, and partners. With over 20 years of experience in the industry, Nat leads Giftbit’s expansion, partnerships, and go-to-market strategy. He brings a deep passion for the gift card and rewards space, helping businesses unlock innovative ways to engage and build lasting relationships.

Jeffrey Marks’s career has taken him from the high-stakes world of M&A law to building restaurants on the Las Vegas Strip and ultimately to founding Lollipop, a workplace well-being platform that’s changing how companies support their people. In this episode, Jeffrey and Curtis explore how small, authentic gestures can have a massive impact on retention, engagement, and workplace culture. Jeffrey shares candid stories from his early legal career, his experience co-founding Titan Brands, and the personal turning points that shaped Lollipop’s mission. He explains how the platform gives managers real-time insight into employee well-being and equips them with practical tools to respond with empathy. For leaders looking to boost connection in meaningful, scalable ways, Jeffrey’s journey is both inspiring and actionable.

About Jeffrrey Marks:

Jeffrey Marks is a former M&A and securities attorney at a top global law firm, and the co-founder of Titan Brands, a Las Vegas-based hospitality group with four restaurants — two located inside Mandalay Bay and two off the Strip. Today, they’re the founder of Lollipop, a workplace well-being platform helping companies lead with empathy, not guesswork. Their work is rooted in the belief that small, authentic gestures can have a massive impact — and that emotional intelligence should be as actionable as any business tool.

Gonzalo “Gonzo” Sanchez, founder of Everlast, is on a mission to change how we understand and manage stress at work and in life. Drawing from his experiences at Uber, Bird, and in telemedicine, he shares how Everlast uses wearables, biomarkers, and personalized roadmaps to help people unlock better health. Gonzalo and Curtis unpack the physiology of stress, emotional regulation, and why stress isn’t just psychological — it’s deeply physical. Gonzalo shares personal stories about hitting his own limits, the inspiration behind Everlast’s name, and how his team is reimagining stress as something to understand, not just suppress. It’s a fascinating conversation that blends science, storytelling, and strategy, giving leaders and individuals alike a new lens on well-being.

About Gonzalo:

Gonzalo is the founder of Everlast, a digital health company that helps people unlock their stress to live healthier, more fulfilling lives. Everlast’s core belief is that stress doesn’t just live in your head—it shows up in your body. By combining biomarkers, wearable data, and lifestyle insights, the team connects the dots and delivers personalized plans that work for each member. Before launching Everlast, Gonzalo led marketplace operations in the telemedicine space, building and scaling clinician networks. Prior to that, he spent nearly a decade at Uber and Bird, where he built high-performing teams and launched marketplaces across multiple regions.

Sheila Williams brings more than 30 years of HR leadership to the table, blending her love of numbers with a deep commitment to people. Now a senior compensation consultant at VisionLink, she shares her journey from corporate America to consulting, unpacking why compensation strategy is both an art and a science. Sheila and Curtis dig into the idea of “compensation chaos” — what happens when companies lack structure — and explore how customized incentive plans can create clarity and drive growth. Sheila emphasizes the importance of transparency, communication, and designing pay strategies that reflect culture as much as spreadsheets. For leaders trying to balance budgets with employee experience, this conversation is a masterclass in getting compensation right.

About Sheila:

Sheila is a seasoned HR leader with over 30 years of experience who transitioned from her role as Vice President of Human Resources to pursue her passion for mentoring and making an impact beyond corporate America. Her career spans diverse industries and organizations of various sizes.  Her time in the C-suite adds a distinctive perspective to guide clients in developing HR and compensation strategies that drive competitive advantage, innovation, and sustainable growth.

Known for her candid communication style and dedication to mentorship, Sheila fosters strong client relationships and takes a personalized, hands-on approach to compensation design. She believes there is no one-size-fits-all solution when it comes to compensation—it is too important to get wrong - it must reflect the organization's unique culture and priorities to achieve long-term success.

Christopher Mallery spent years managing bustling restaurant teams before shifting gears to help business owners reclaim their time and sanity. As the founder of Top2Bottom Business Solutions, he now supports small businesses and franchises with clean financials, smoother operations, and smarter decision-making. In this conversation, Christopher and Curtis talk candidly about turnover, leadership in high-pressure environments, and the grind of wearing a dozen hats as an owner-operator. Christopher shares what it was like to lead teams of 60–100 people in a seven-day-a-week industry, the hard lessons he learned on retention, and how those experiences now shape his approach to supporting clients. He offers a grounded, insider’s perspective on why bookkeeping and operational clarity aren’t just back-office functions — they’re the foundation of sustainable growth.

About Christopher:

Christopher Mallery is a seasoned restaurant industry professional who transitioned from managing high-pressure environments to helping overworked business owners streamline their operations. With hands-on experience in operations, process management, accounting, and team leadership, he understands the demands of running a business. Christopher now leverages his passion for people and expert bookkeeping skills to support small businesses, franchises, and startups across the US, helping them reclaim balance and focus on what matters most.

On this episode of Behind the Build, Curtis Forbes sits down with Shawn Gulyas, founder of humanworks8, to discuss how organizations can elevate their culture by focusing on people first. Shawn introduces the eight truths that anchor his work, offering practical ways leaders can align values, strengthen performance, and simplify culture-building.

The conversation also touches on the role of technology, the importance of recognition and performance management, and why confident leadership often begins with something as simple as taking a breath.

About Shawn:

Shawn exists to design and facilitate creative experiences that challenge one’s thinking and action – helping individuals and companies find their authenticity and elevate their people touchpoints. After a 25-year leadership career in Human Resources, Shawn founded humanworks8 to work with organizations in need of bringing their work to life through championing people.  Think of Shawn as a “jump-starter” of energy and ideas around the belief that Everyone Matters and as a leader who creates cultures and communities where values, natural instincts and well-being are the essence of success. Other things Shawn believes in: Peace, Wonder, and Yoda.

In this episode of Behind the Build, Curtis Forbes sits down with Ali Kraus, CFE and Chief Marketing Officer at Benetrends Financial, to explore her journey from autism educator to franchise industry leader. Alishares how her passion for people, culture, and community fuels both her marketing career and her nonprofit, Furry Frans, which brings comfort to children in crisis. She opens up about navigating stereotypes, fostering inclusive workplaces across generations, and why scaling culture takes more than HR—it takes energy, empathy, and shared leadership. Whether you’re growing a business or growing as a leader, Ali’s perspective on empowerment and authenticity will leave you inspired.

About Ali:

Ali Kraus, CFE, is the Chief Marketing Officer at Benetrends Financial, where she leads brand strategy, marketing, and growth initiatives for one of the franchise industry’s most trusted funding partners. She also serves as Vice-Chair of the International Franchise Association’s Women’s Franchise Committee, championing empowerment and leadership for women across franchising. Ali is the co-founder of Furry Frans, a nonprofit bringing comfort to children in crisis, and is passionate about building community, creating impact, and helping entrepreneurs turn their dreams into reality.