Punk Rock HR

My guest this week is John Register, a change-mindset warrior who helps business leaders and individuals overcome adversity and fear, embrace a “new normal” mindset and win at life. John is one of those people who has an inspirational story that leaves you feeling ready to transform your outlook on life. In our conversation, John shares his story of adapting to his “new normal,” the power of storytelling, the dangers of ableism, and what all that has to do with the world of work.

My guest today is Sharlyn Lauby, author of the absolutely essential blog HR Bartender and president of ITM Group Inc. I’ve known Sharlyn for well over a decade, and I can say that her body of work just keeps getting better. Not only is she an amazing author, speaker and consultant, but she also recently became a fellow podcast host. Listen to our conversation about the ways that onboarding can be done more effectively and how companies can offer better management support.

My guest this week is Matt Johnson, a communications and change management expert. His story is rich: He’s toured in a punk rock band, worked at the Pentagon during the Obama administration and is now head of communications for Markel International. He’s also the author of a fantastic book, “Work Songs.” In it, Matt argues that song is something that is all but absent from our modern work lives. Listen to our conversation about the value that songs and storytelling provide, how they relate to the idea of perseverance, and the ways that we can tell an effective story within the corporate world to give us work songs for the modern era.

In celebration of a great Women’s History Month here on Punk Rock HR and everywhere else, I’m super excited to bring you another bonus episode to close out the month of March. My guest is Amy Guth, a Chicago-based writer, speaker, journalist, author and all-around badass. There’s still a lot that we need to accomplish in terms of how we treat women, the systemic issues at play and what we can do about it going forward. And I believe Amy can get us there.

My guest today is Ching Valdezco. She’s a global learning consultant with Exec-Comm and helps leaders and teams learn to communicate, influence and negotiate effectively. I met Ching several years ago at a conference in San Jose, and the audience (myself included) was absolutely wowed by Ching’s tips and tricks on how they could successfully negotiate their worth. It was a real pleasure to connect with her once again and hear her share truly insightful information on how you can begin sharpening your negotiation skills today.

March is Women’s History Month, and all month long, Punk Rock HR is bringing you conversations with women who are fixing the world of work. In this episode, listen to my conversation with the negotiating goddess herself, Ching Valdezco.

I’m sure you’re familiar with that feeling you get when you’re driving along peacefully and, out of nowhere, your GPS will start shouting, “Recalculating!” Sometimes this is exactly what your career path feels like, as well. 

My guest this week, Lindsey Pollak, illustrates this analogy perfectly. Lindsey is a career and workplace expert and a New York Times bestselling author with a new book titled “Recalculating: Navigate Your Career Through the Changing World of Work.” Sit back and enjoy my discussion with Lindsey about what it means to recalculate, the useful steps you need to take when going through a career change, and why mindset is key.

My guest this week is Rebecca Weaver, a former HR leader who is now the founder and CEO of HRuprise, a platform that connects workers who are navigating challenging issues with independent HR coaches. Sit back and enjoy my conversation with Rebecca about the challenges she faced in her career, what she hopes to accomplish through HRuprise and how HR has the opportunity to be part of the solution when done correctly.

My guest this week, Claire Wasserman, is the founder and author of Ladies Get Paid, a platform that helps women advance professionally and financially. The umbrella of her organization covers an event series, an active Slack group and now a book, providing many opportunities for women to share knowledge and support each other. Listen in to find out more about Ladies Get Paid, as well as our discussion about equal pay for equal work and advancing the rights of working women and mothers.

I’m excited to bring you this special bonus episode of Punk Rock HR, in which I speak with a woman in HR who I really respect, Susan Richards. She’s the CEO and founder of Sapient Insights Group and, above all else, describes herself as a “people fixer.” Susan and I talked about how investments in technology can help counter employee burnout, as well as the importance of focusing on well-being as part of the employee experience. Listen to our conversation and find out how HR leaders can take the lessons we learned in 2020 with them into the future.

My guest is Kanika Tolver, founder and CEO of Career Rehab, a coaching company that helps people renovate themselves and find their dream jobs. She’s also the author of “Career Rehab: Rebuild Your Personal Brand and Rethink the Way You Work,” a fantastic book where she outlines her approach to helping others be the architects of both their careers and their lives. Listen to hear Kanika talk about what Career Rehab is all about, what it means to be a corporate rebel and how she sees the future of work for women in 2021 and beyond.