In this episode, Jacob talks with Tara Egan, founder of Serve HR, about what it takes to create a culture where people feel safe sharing feedback—and leaders actually act on it.

Tara shares her journey from 20+ years in corporate HR to launching her own fractional HR practice, and what she’s learned working with fast-moving entrepreneurial companies that often “figure out the people stuff later.”

They dive into:

* Why small businesses often delay their “people plan” and how to fix it

* How to earn real employee feedback (and get 70–90% survey participation)

* The right way to handle feedback without defensiveness

* How trust and candor transform both teams and company performance

* The surprising connection between alignment, engagement, and profitability

If you’ve ever wondered how to move from chaos to clarity in your culture—without killing your entrepreneurial spirit—this one’s for you.

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