In this episode, Kendra Johnson, SVP of Growth at the International Carwash Association, sits down with Bethany Adams, Associate Director of Marketing & Strategy for Villanova University’s Graduate Programs in Human Resource Development. With more than 15 years of experience across small businesses, Fortune 500 companies, and higher education, Bethany brings a unique and practical perspective on the evolving role of HR.

She is an educator, strategist, and consultant whose passion lies in helping organizations cultivate authentic engagement, develop leaders at every level, and align culture with business goals. At Roadmap 2025, Bethany will lead a workshop on recruitment, retention, and the critical shift in how organizations think about employee expectations. 

What You’ll Learn in This Episode

• Why today’s workforce requires a new approach to leadership and engagement
• How HR strategy differs across small businesses, corporations, and higher education
• The concept of “leading the leader” and why it matters now
• Practical ways to make engagement part of everyday culture
• Common strategies that miss the mark and how to rethink them
• How to use creativity in solving day-to-day challenges through “Action Labs”
• What the future of employee check-ins might look like

Episode Highlights

(1:00) Working with small businesses, Fortune 500 companies and now higher education gives Bethany a unique perspective on the role of HR. She explains the finer points of her perspective.

(1:49) Why is it timely to learn about leading the leader? It’s the societal shift! She outlines the new employee expectations and how she will address these in her workshop at this year’s Roadmap conference.

(4:30) What are a couple of the areas Bethany will cover? She will highlight how to action and strategize engagement and how to create culture and make this a part of your strategy. Think emotional intelligence! 

(7:50) So, what strategies aren’t working? Well, engagement and what it really means regarding the responsibility of the organization to create an atmosphere that allow people to be engaged. It doesn’t always have to be big…sometimes a simple check in is powerful.

(10:47) What is the “Action Lab” portion of her workshop? It’s about thinking creatively about problems you face during the day and how to solve for them.

(13:12) What does Bethany find powerful going forward? She talks about the future “check-in”.

Seats are limited for Bethnay’s November 3rd workshop at Roadmap – so sign up today!

Join ICA at Roadmap, November 3–4 in Dallas, TX, for two days of learning across Sales, Marketing, HR, and Operations. Registration is open now at carwashroadmap.com.

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