Starting a podcast while working full-time requires a different strategy than the usual “quit and go all in” advice.

In this episode, Lee Cage Jr. shares how he built and monetized a podcast while working full-time as a Director at BDO, serving in the National Guard, and speaking at conferences.

Together, Rhona and Lee break down what it actually takes to start a podcast while employed — from choosing a short-form format to attracting sponsors without obsessing over download numbers.

This conversation covers podcast monetization, corporate visibility, and how to build influence without compromising your career.

If you’re a corporate professional or side-hustler wondering how to start a podcast while working full-time, this episode offers a practical framework.

What You’ll Learn

How to start a podcast while working full-time

Why short-form podcasting can outperform long-form

What sponsors care about beyond downloads

How to think about podcast monetization strategically

The risks and rewards of building a personal brand while employed

Resources Mentioned:

Connect With Us:

Want to turn your team into creators?

Visit⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠workfluencermedia.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ to learn how we help companies build video-first content systems that attract, engage, and retain talent.

starting a podcast while working full-time, how to start a podcast while employed, build a podcast with a full-time job, podcast monetization strategy, podcast sponsorship strategy, short form podcasting, corporate content creator, personal brand while employed, podcast for professionals, side hustle podcast, creative entrepreneur podcast, influencer workplace advice, podcast growth strategy, leadership podcast interview, workfluencer podcast

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What does it take to build a personal brand as a Black woman in corporate America?

In this episode of Workfluencer, I sit down with Keirsten Greggs, founder of Trap Recruiter, to talk about visibility, authority, and what happens when you stop editing yourself.

We discuss:

Being told not to name her brand “Trap Recruiter” — and building it anyway.

The moment she stopped editing herself to make others comfortable

What happens when your brand starts to eclipse your personal identity

Walking into rooms where people still look for the white man in charge

Why being featured in major outlets doesn’t automatically change how you’re treated

The reality of brand deals that don’t want to pay Black creators

Breaking down jobs reports and layoffs through a data lens most people ignore

This is a conversation about influence, respect, corporate power dynamics, and building authority without shrinking yourself.

If you’re building a personal brand while navigating corporate spaces, this episode is for you.

CONNECT WITH US:

Want to turn your team into creators?

Visit⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠workfluencermedia.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ to learn how we help companies build video-first content systems that attract, engage, and retain talent.

personal branding for women, building a personal brand, Black women in corporate America, personal branding at work, workplace visibility, building influence at work, women in leadership, corporate power dynamics, professional authority, creator economy professionals, content creation for professionals, navigating corporate America, brand partnerships for creators, jobs report analysis, DEI rollbacks, Workfluencer

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Building a creator career after corporate layoffs comes with pressure most people don’t talk about.

Together, Rhona and Madison unpack what happens when professionals—especially Black women—are pushed out of corporate roles and forced to build visibility, stability, and leverage online in real time.

This isn’t about going viral. It’s about survival, grief, monetization, and staying honest when the algorithm doesn’t play fair.

You’ll hear a raw conversation about job loss, biased platforms, parasocial pressure, and why building a creator career after corporate requires a very different mindset than “just post more.”

What You’ll Learn

Why content creation feels different when your income depends on it

The grief that comes with a forced career pivot

How algorithms reward different creators differently

Why a small, loyal audience beats a massive following

The hidden cost of being “authentic” online

How Madison thinks about monetization vs. visibility

Why comparison destroys joy in creator careers

Resources Mentioned:

Connect With Us:

Want to turn your team into creators?

Visit⁠ ⁠⁠⁠workfluencermedia.com⁠⁠⁠⁠ to learn how we help companies build video-first content systems that attract, engage, and retain talent.

creator career, creator economy, content creation career, career after corporate layoffs, leaving corporate, post layoff career, career pivot, building a creator business, monetizing content, professional creators, creator income, content creation as a career, personal brand after layoff, LinkedIn creators, Black creators, Black women in corporate, workplace inequality, algorithm bias, creator burnout, job loss recovery, creator monetization strategies, thought leadership content, workfluencer

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What do you do when you’re supposed to post… and you just can’t?

In this episode, Rhona Pierce sits down with Jeffrey Fermin for an honest conversation about creating content during moments of exhaustion, fear, and emotional overload. Not burnout. Not strategy hacks. Just real talk about what it feels like to show up online when the world feels heavy and your energy is gone.

This isn’t an episode about forcing consistency. It’s about knowing when to pause, how to protect your energy, and how creators decide what not to post.

What We Talk About

A must-listen for corporate creators, experienced professionals, and anyone navigating visibility when motivation is low.

Resources Mentioned

Connect With Us

Want to turn your team into creators?

Visit ⁠⁠⁠workfluencermedia.com⁠⁠⁠ to learn how we help companies build video-first content systems that attract, engage, and retain talent.

content creation, creating content, content consistency, content motivation, creator fatigue, creator mindset, posting on LinkedIn, LinkedIn creators, corporate creators, professional content creation, creator pressure, creative blocks, content during hard times, showing up online, creator honesty, creator mental load, creator identity, HR content creators, workfluencer

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Becoming a TEDx speaker isn’t about a single moment on stage.It’s about the process that comes before it.

In this episode, Bobby McNeil walks through what it actually takes to become a TEDx speaker while working full-time. From deciding to apply, to shaping the idea, to confronting the emotional and time demands most people underestimate.

Bobby shares lessons from his first TEDx experience alongside the parallel journey of writing his first book, Cracking the Code. Not as a playbook. As lived experience.

What You'll Learn:

What happens before you ever get on a TEDx stage

How the TEDx process differs from corporate or conference speaking

Why mindset and identity matter more than performance

The real time and emotional cost of becoming a speaker

What surprised him most about visibility at this level

If you’ve ever thought about applying for a TEDx, or wondered what becoming a speaker actually requires beyond confidence and polish, this episode gives you a grounded look at the reality. 

What You’ll Learn

What it actually takes to become a TEDx speaker while working full-time

The biggest differences between a TEDx talk and a normal keynote or panel

How to shape one clear “idea worth sharing” (and cut what doesn’t fit)

Why the TEDx prep process is so rigorous. And what to expect from coaching

How to manage the time and emotional energy it takes to finish the process

The most “unsexy” first step you can take today to get started 

Resources Mentioned

Listen to Bobby’s TEDx Talk - https://youtu.be/6FzE0_PeQZU?si=g7mw6yB4ZXtwsWLd

Buy Cracking the Code - https://amzn.to/458j9au

Connect With Us

Connect with  Bobby - https://www.linkedin.com/in/bmcneil/ 

Connect with Rhona https://www.linkedin.com/in/rhonabarnettpierce/

Want to turn your team into creators?

Visit ⁠⁠⁠workfluencermedia.com⁠⁠⁠ to learn how we help companies build video-first content systems that attract, engage, and retain talent.

TEDx speaker, how to become a TEDx speaker, becoming a TEDx speaker, TEDx application process, TEDx talk preparation, public speaking career, professional speaking, thought leadership, personal brand, career visibility, working full time and speaking, content creation while employed, career storytelling, speaking opportunities, first TEDx talk, Workfluencer

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What if you could build real industry authority, grow your network, and create long-term leverage — without a team, a budget, or paid promotion?

In this episode, Benjamin Mena breaks down how he built a 600+ person virtual summit completely solo, while still running a full recruiting desk.

You’ll hear how he designed summits that actually attract the right people, why keeping live access free increases trust and engagement, and how curating other experts helped him build influence without putting himself front and center.

This conversation is a practical playbook for anyone who wants to use content to build community, credibility, and inbound opportunities — without burning out or overengineering the process.

What You’ll Learn

How to use a virtual summit to grow authority in your niche

Why “no team” can actually be an advantage

How free live events drive higher engagement

The systems Benjamin uses to run summits solo

How podcasts create warm relationships at scale

When community monetization actually makes sense

Resources Mentioned:

Connect with us

Want to turn your team into creators?

Visit ⁠⁠workfluencermedia.com⁠⁠ to learn how we help companies build video-first content systems that attract, engage, and retain talent.

workfluencer, virtual summit, virtual conference, online summit, community building, podcasting strategy, content marketing, audience growth, personal brand, thought leadership, creator economy, building community, podcast growth, authority building, event marketing, online events, no team business, solo creator, bootstrapped growth, recruiting industry, recruiter podcast, HR podcast, B2B podcast, professional creators

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Most internal comms get ignored. Deleted emails. Skimmed Slack posts. Zero follow-through. HR Leader, Lia Seth flipped that script.

In this episode, we break down how she used memes, creator instincts, and vulnerability to get 100% employee open enrollment completed 24 hours early. Yes. Really.

She wasn’t thinking like HR. She was thinking like a content creator.

We get tactical. We get honest. And we talk about when this approach works, and when it absolutely doesn’t.

What You’ll Learn

Why traditional internal comms fail

How memes drive real behavior change at work

The cadence Lia used to sustain attention

How to explain complex benefits simply

When not to use humor or memes

How vulnerability builds trust internally

Accessibility tips for creative comms

Tools Lia actually uses to make memes

CONNECT WITH US

Want to turn your team into creators?

Visit ⁠workfluencermedia.com⁠ to learn how we help companies build video-first content systems that attract, engage, and retain talent.

internal comms, internal communications, employee communication, workplace communication, HR communications, people ops, HR leadership, employee engagement, content strategy, creator mindset, content creators at work, corporate communication, internal messaging, change management, employee experience, modern HR, workplace culture, internal content strategy, communication at work, HR best practices, workfluencer

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Is CEO content building trust, or just embarrassing the brand?

CEOs are posting more than ever. But not all visibility builds trust.

In this Workfluencer Trend Report, Rhona breaks down a recent CNBC article questioning whether CEOs trying to be influencers is smart leadership or pure cringe.

Using real examples of executive backlash, this episode explores why some CEO content backfires, why others work, and how trust has become the most important currency in the AI era.

This isn’t about telling leaders to stop posting. It’s about understanding what audiences will not tolerate anymore.

What You’ll Learn

Why CEO personal branding is accelerating, not slowing down

The common mistake behind “cringe” executive content

The difference between authentic vs unfiltered posting

Why trust signals matter more as AI-generated content explodes

How companies are operationalizing executive content the right way

Connect with Rhona

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If you’re a Founder or Executive figuring out this whole Founder-Led Marketing thing, I’ve got an invite-only newsletter where I go deeper on this stuff. Want in? Email me at [email protected] and I’ll add you to the list.

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CEO content, CEO personal branding, executive content strategy, founder led marketing, leadership personal brand, CEO LinkedIn strategy, executive storytelling, CEO influencers, leadership trust, executive visibility, founder branding, thought leadership for CEOs, leadership communication, personal branding at work, Workfluencer

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Candidates don’t decide to trust your company when they read a job post. They decide long before that.

In this episode, recruitment advertising veteran Lance Christensen explains how employer content has quietly replaced job descriptions as the real trust signal in hiring.

We dig into how candidates research companies in 2025, why Reddit and AI search amplify reputation gaps, and how content now functions as targeting, not just awareness.

If your job posts sound good but your pipeline says otherwise, this conversation explains exactly why.

What You’ll Learn

Why job posts no longer drive candidate trust

How employer content shapes decisions before someone applies

What candidates actually research first

Why content voids get filled with complaints

How AI search changes employer brand risk

Where TA and employer brand teams should start fixing trust

RESOURCES MENTIONED:

CONNECT WITH US:

Want to turn your team into creators?

Visit workfluencermedia.com to learn how we help companies build video-first content systems that attract, engage, and retain talent.

workfluencer, employer content, employer branding, recruitment marketing, candidate trust, talent acquisition, hiring strategy, employee generated content, recruiting content, recruitment advertising, EVP, employer reputation, hiring in 2026, content strategy for recruiting, employer brand trust, recruitment trends, talent marketing, employer brand content, candidate experience, hiring content strategy

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Most people go quiet during a career transition. Laci McKinney did the opposite.

In this episode of the Workfluencer Podcast, Laci breaks down how she used content to make her transferable skills visible, pivot into organizational development, and earn three promotions in three years.

We talk about documenting your learning in public, building a dual personal + professional brand, navigating imposter syndrome, and why content isn’t self-promotion. It’s career leverage.

If you’re considering a pivot, growing influence while employed, or trying to connect content to real career outcomes, this episode is for you.

What You’ll Learn

Why waiting to be “picked” is the fastest way to stall your career

How documenting your learning builds credibility before you feel “ready”

The dual-brand strategy that makes career pivots feel natural

How to choose content topics you actually have permission to speak on

A simple way to show your day-to-day work without oversharing

How content translated into promotions, consulting, and podcast invites

Why imposter syndrome never goes away. And why that’s normal

What leaders get wrong about internal mobility and career development

How organizations benefit when content is treated as development, not ego

RESOURCES MENTIONED

CONNECT WITH US

Want to turn your team into creators?

Visit workfluencermedia.com to learn how we help companies build video-first content systems that attract, engage, and retain talent.

workfluencer, career transition, career change, content creation, personal branding, career development, professional content creation, building a personal brand, career growth, thought leadership, career advancement, content strategy, career visibility, career reinvention, career storytelling, employee content creation, corporate content creator, career pivots, professional branding, workplace influence, creator economy at work

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