Salesforce just laid off 4,000 employees… and they’re blaming AI.

In this episode of Leading Change in the Wild, Ema Roloff breaks down what’s going on with Salesforce’s massive layoffs, their new Agentforce AI platform, and the growing trend of tech leaders using artificial intelligence as both a scapegoat and a sales pitch.

🎯 Is AI truly replacing jobs… or is it just convenient PR?

Ema dives into:

If you’re navigating AI strategy or responsible for tech implementation, this is your wake-up call to think long-term, question the narrative, and use AI to amplify, not eliminate, your team.

Ema is joined by Jonathan Bennett, advisor to executives and founders, for a deeply insightful conversation on navigating career transitions—especially when it means stepping away from a business you’ve built.

Ema is joined by Carolyn Hicks Jimenez, Head of Business Operations at Insurance Quantified, to talk about career development, retention, and talent building in the insurance industry. Carolyn shares her unconventional path into finance and insurance, highlighting the powerful role of rotational programs in building resilient, well-rounded professionals.

Every new generation gets labeled as lazy, entitled, or unprepared. But here’s the twist. Gen Z isn’t arguing. In fact, they’re raising their hands and saying, “Yeah…we’re not ready.”

In this episode of Leading Change in the Wild, I dig into surprising data on Gen Z’s soft skills, digital literacy, and AI readiness, and why it is causing concern for employers and employees alike. From underprepared graduates to AI anxiety, we are at a crossroads that could reshape the future of work.

Ema is joined by executive coach and author Dia Bondi, who shares her proven framework for making powerful asks in your career and leadership journey. Based on her book Ask Like an Auctioneer, Dia breaks down the four essential types of asks—money, authority, influence, and balance—and how mastering them can unlock real progress for you and your team. 

In this episode of Leading Change in the Wild, we break down the recent data breach at the viral women’s-only dating app, Tea. Marketed as a platform to help women vet potential matches and stay safe, the app is now facing serious backlash after hackers accessed over 72,000 images, including photo IDs and selfies submitted for account verification.

What we cover in this episode:

For anyone building, buying, or using technology: this is a cautionary tale.

Ema is joined by Cody Pavlat, a seasoned trainer and change leader, to explore the often-overlooked role of middle managers in driving successful transformation. They unpack how these “unsung heroes” bridge the gap between executive vision and day-to-day execution, the importance of psychological safety in leading change, and why you can’t just outsource adoption to the training team.