Imagine a world where you never have to pay a job board for candidates ever again. In this episode of the Higher Power Radio Show, host Rick Gerard is joined by Matt Plapp, CEO of Restaurant Marketing That Works, to explore how leveraging social media can help CEOs and entrepreneurs attract top talent. Matt shares his journey from hiring a business coach to becoming a Facebook influencer, emphasizing the importance of storytelling and personal branding. He offers actionable tips on creating authentic content, developing a posting schedule, and building a recognizable brand. Join us to learn how you can transform your hiring process and attract high-performing employees.

00:00 Introduction to the Problem with Job Boards

00:43 Welcome to Higher Power Radio Show

00:56 Meet Matt Plap: Restaurant Marketing Expert

01:43 The Power of Social Media for Recruitment

01:58 Becoming a Facebook Influencer

02:51 The Importance of Personal Branding

04:51 Real-Life Success Stories

06:21 Building a Culture Through Social Media

07:40 The Impact of Core Values on Hiring

13:10 Leveraging Social Media Platforms

18:37 Embrace Authenticity in Content Creation

19:06 Learning from Feedback and Self-Editing

19:33 Encouraging Social Media Engagement

21:06 The Importance of Consistency and Practice

24:41 Creating Engaging Content Plans

28:34 Building a Recognizable Brand

29:27 Key Takeaways for Business Success

32:19 Conclusion and Contact Information+

Guest Links:

Website: https://mattplapp.com/

Host Links:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rick-girard-07722/

In this episode of the Higher Power Radio Show, host Rick Gerard sits down with Ken Bogard, Founder & CEO of NOHONESTY, to uncover how radical honesty can transform your business from the inside out. They dive deep into the communication breakdowns that cause high turnover, how leaders can foster trust, and why being real is the key to unlocking engagement, productivity, and profit.

🚀 Ken shares insights from his newly released book and his experience working with over 300 owners and thousands of employees, driving organizational clarity and leadership transformation.

If you’re tired of the “Oh shit” moments when key employees quit unexpectedly, and you’re ready to create a workplace built on truth and transparency—this episode is for you!

🔔 Don’t forget to like, comment, and subscribe for more episodes that help you hire and retain top talent!

00:00 - Welcome to Higher Power Radio Show

🔗 Guest & Host Links:

Ken Bogard - Guest

Rick Gerard - Host

In this episode, we’re diving deep into the art of setting clear expectations before you hire—a critical step to attracting and retaining top talent that truly fits your mission.

Our guest, Melissa Ortiz, CEO of Activate Human Capital, is a seasoned expert in talent optimization and employee engagement. Melissa helps businesses match the right people to the right seats by aligning talent strategies with business goals. 🌱

Together, Rick and Melissa explore how entrepreneurs often create hiring problems by skipping crucial steps in expectation setting. They offer actionable strategies to prevent costly mis-hires and ensure new hires thrive in your company culture.

👉 If you’re struggling with retention or making reactive hires, this episode is for you!

00:00 – Intro: Why Hiring Strong People is a Game-Changer

02:30 – Meet Melissa Ortiz: CEO of Activate Human Capital

05:45 – The Problem is... Us! Why Visionaries Fail at Setting Expectations

10:15 – The GWC Rule Isn’t Enough (Get it, Want it, Capacity)

14:50 – Why You Need to Re-Evaluate the Role Every Time You Hire

20:10 – Hiring Reactively? Stop!

25:00 – Melissa’s Story: Taking the Lowest Paying Job (On Purpose!)

30:45 – Action Steps: Setting Clear, Measurable Expectations Before Hiring

35:00 – Final Takeaways: Aligning Talent Strategy with Business Strategy

37:20 – Outro & Where to Find Melissa & Rick

In this episode of the Higher Power Radio Show, host Rick Gerard discusses essential hiring techniques and leadership strategies with Randy Wooten, the CEO of Maxo. They delve into the importance of frequent team communication, the value of planned and celebrated resignations, and the various stages of company growth from Series A to scaling up. Randy shares his vast experience transitioning companies through critical inflection points and highlights the importance of setting effective company operating systems, such as the V2MOM framework. They underscore the significance of having a clear vision, mission, and values, and how these principles can drive organizational success. Randy also talks about the importance of coaching, mentoring, and peer groups for CEOs to navigate the complexities of leadership effectively.

00:00 Introduction to Higher Power Radio Show

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Proactive Hiring: Avoiding Surprises & Building Stronger Teams

In this episode, Bryan Neale, founder of Blind Zebra, shares his Red Light, Green Light framework—a simple yet powerful tool to enhance employee engagement, productivity, and planned exits. Host Rick Girard and Bryan discuss how embedding open, honest conversations into company culture ensures smooth transitions, stronger hires, and long-term business growth.

Key Takeaways:

03:10 – Why employee exits should never be a surprise

Guest Links:

🔗 Bryan Neale: LinkedIn

Host Links: 

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Hiring in a Hurry? Beware of the Hidden Costs

In this episode, Jonathan shares a real-life hiring horror story that led to a lawsuit, exposing the dangers of transactional interviews and skipping reference checks. He and host Rick Girard break down how to properly vet candidates, avoid bad hires, and implement a hiring process that protects your business.

Key Takeaways:

03:15 – The risks of rushing to fill a position

Guest Links:

🔗 Jonathan Hard: LinkedIn

Host Links: 

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Monetary compensation is no longer the primary reason people accept job offers. Career growth, learning opportunities, company culture, and meaningful work now take center stage. To hire and retain the strongest people, businesses must understand and align with what truly drives employees.

In this episode, Bonni Pomush, CEO of Working Wardrobes, joins Rick Girard to discuss how she transformed Working Wardrobes' retention and employee satisfaction. Bonni shares the key strategies she implemented to enhance workplace culture, increase engagement, and drive loyalty—without relying on big paychecks.

Key Takeaways:

03:10 – Why money isn’t the top factor in hiring anymore

Guest Links:

🔗 Bonni Pomush: LinkedIn

Host Links: 

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Conflict is an unavoidable part of business, but how you handle it determines your company's success. Many leaders shy away from conflict, presenting an idealized company culture during hiring, only to create friction when reality sets in. Today’s episode tackles embracing and managing conflict effectively to build stronger, high-performing teams.

Rick Girard sits down with Ryan Redding, founder of Levergy and host of Blue Collar CEO, to discuss hiring challenges, organizational conflict, and how to create a healthy debate, trust, and alignment culture. Ryan shares a personal hiring misstep that led to a transformation in how his company approaches conflict resolution—and how you can apply these insights to your business.

Key Takeaways:

03:12 – The dangers of avoiding conflict in hiring

Guest Links:

🔗 Ryan Redding: Website - Levergy

Host Links: 

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Listening to what your customers desire and having the courage to uproot your business model to accommodate them, takes guts. It’s essentially disrupting your own short-term profits for a long-term bigger picture. 

Your employees who are “comfortable” will most likely leave as most people do not like change. Especially, radical change! Leaving the opportunity for others to step up and help to drive the business forward. 

Today, we are going to delve into a story of what happens when you dare to disrupt your own business.

Guest Bio

Adam Philipp is the Founder & Patent Attorney of Aeon Law.  Adam is a strategic attorney who focuses on innovative solutions for creators, entrepreneurs, and C-suite executives. 

He believes that all of his clients deserve to understand how their IP tools will work for them, and their business model is designed to provide a transparent process with predictable budgets. 

Problem:  

Why is this important to the company?

Rick’s Nuggets

How do we solve the problem? 

Key Takeaways that the Audience can plug into their business today! 

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