In this episode of You’ve Got People Problems, Melissa sits down with Ajay Malik—founder of StudioX and former leader at Google and Cisco—to explore why degrees and formal qualifications shouldn’t be the gatekeepers for great talent. Ajay shares how his own hiring experiences have proven that skill, creativity, and problem-solving matter far more than what’s listed on a diploma.

You’ll learn how to:

• Recognize the limits of résumés and degrees in predicting success
• Spot potential and capability in unconventional candidates
• Shift your hiring lens to focus on skills, adaptability, and problem-solving
• Build stronger, more innovative teams by broadening who you consider

Whether you’re leading a fast-growing company or rethinking your approach to hiring, this conversation will challenge assumptions and give you practical ways to unlock overlooked talent.

🎧 Listen on your favorite podcast platform or watch here on YouTube.

In this episode of You’ve Got People Problems, Melissa Ortiz talks with Lauren Fisher, Senior HR Business Partner at Tru HR Solutions, about the game-changing leadership concept Who, Not How. They explore why shifting your focus from doing it yourself to finding the right person can save time, increase effectiveness, and strengthen your team.

You’ll learn:

• How “Who, Not How” applies to leaders in any industry
• The role of trust, autonomy, and role clarity in empowering people
• Why healthy conflict can actually deepen relationships and build stronger teams
• How to avoid “should-ing” on others—and yourself—while holding people accountable

Whether you lead a small team or a large organization, this conversation will give you tools to free up your time, empower your people, and get better results.

🎧 Listen on your favorite podcast platform or watch here on YouTube.

In this episode of You’ve Got People Problems, Melissa sits down with William to dig into the real-world talent acquisition challenges that growth-focused companies face. From the very first candidate interaction to the first days on the job, every step of the journey matters.

You’ll learn how to:
+ Design a candidate journey that feels intentional—not transactional
+ Structure debriefs so hiring managers can make better, faster decisions
+ Communicate clearly to reduce “ghosting” and interview cancellations
+ Turn onboarding into an early win for employee engagement

Whether you’re scaling quickly or just want to improve your hiring process, this conversation is packed with actionable strategies to make your recruiting efforts more effective and your new hires more successful.

🎧 Listen on your favorite podcast platform or watch here on YouTube.

In this episode, Melissa Ortiz sits down with Paisley Coxsey to talk about what happens when leaders finally stop trying to carry the whole business themselves—and start creating alignment across their team.

Paisley shares her journey as a Fractional COO, what it means to “lead second,” and how clarity (not just hustle) is what actually moves the needle.

If you’ve ever felt stuck in the weeds, unsure how to scale, or frustrated with team communication—this conversation is for you.

🎧 Highlights include:

• The difference between doing and leading
• How aligned leadership unlocks real momentum
• Tools that help teams prioritize what matters most

Subscribe to You’ve Got People Problems for more stories and strategies that help leaders grow through their people.

In this episode of You’ve Got People Problems, Melissa Ortiz is joined by Doug Thorpe to dive deep into one of the most overlooked growth tools: role clarity.

From onboarding to accountability to team development, Doug shares how clearly defining roles can prevent misalignment, improve retention, and unlock better performance across the board.

Whether you're scaling your company or just trying to get everyone rowing in the same direction, this episode gives you tools to ensure every person knows what “winning” looks like in their seat.

🎧 In this conversation:

• How to create clarity without micromanaging
• Why title ≠ role
• When it’s time to re-review expectations with your team

Subscribe for more real-world conversations about solving the people problems that slow down great businesses.

In Episode 17 of You’ve Got People Problems, Melissa Ortiz is joined by Amy Morin—an accomplished entrepreneur who built, scaled, and sold a business from the ground up, reaching $40M in revenue across multiple states and industries, including Tax and Financial Services.

In this episode, they explore the people problems behind sales — and why revenue struggles are often leadership and alignment problems first.

Amy shares real stories from her journey as a founder, her work as an EOS Implementer, and how she helps businesses identify the people challenges that choke off growth.

In this conversation:
+ Why sales issues are often people issues
+ How stagnation shows up in your team
+ What leaders can do to create clarity around revenue
+ Why everyone in your organization is actually in sales

🎧 Subscribe for more real talk on leadership, growth, and solving people problems at work.

In Episode 16 of You’ve Got People Problems, Melissa Ortiz sits down with entrepreneur and multi-business owner Matt Hahne—creator of the Supervisor Playbook—for one of the most exciting and practical conversations yet. Matt wears many hats, including business coach, cofounder of an executive financial group, and EOS® Implementer. 

This episode is packed with real-life examples, practical leadership tools, and a no-fluff breakdown of what it actually takes to lead well.

Matt and Melissa dive into:

• The 5 absolute requirements of leadership
• Why leadership is earned, not assigned
• What supervisors need to know to create clarity, consistency, and trust
• Lessons from the trenches that every people leader can use

If you lead people—or want to—this is one you don’t want to miss.

🎧 Subscribe for more tools, frameworks, and stories that help you lead with confidence.

In Episode 15 of You’ve Got People Problems, Melissa Ortiz sits down with Ellie Prentice, an HR leader in the nonprofit space, for a powerful conversation about the role language plays in leadership. From everyday feedback to big-picture messaging, the words we choose can either build trust or quietly erode culture. Ellie shares practical examples and lessons from her work, highlighting how intentional communication can shape healthier, more connected teams.

Ellie brings over two decades of experience in nonprofit and education leadership, and shares real stories from the field about how the right words (and the wrong ones) show up in tough conversations, feedback, and everyday team dynamics.

We cover:

• What it means to lead with words that are tough, tender, and transformative
• How to give feedback that’s clear and human
• Why your words matter more than you think—even when you’re busy, frustrated, or under pressure

🎧 Subscribe for more episodes that help leaders guess less and win more at work.

In Episode 14, Melissa Ortiz is joined by Healthful founder Nora Zuniga for a candid and insightful conversation about what happens when your work no longer fits.

They explore:

+ The signs that your role might be out of alignment

+ How to pivot with clarity and confidence

+Why benefits and support systems can make or break small business growth

+The mission behind Healthful and how Nora supports entrepreneurs

This one gets personal—but it also offers a practical roadmap for leaders who want to make intentional shifts for themselves and their teams.

🎧 Subscribe for honest conversations that help you guess less and lead better.

In Episode 13 of You’ve Got People Problems, Melissa Ortiz sits down with entrepreneur and business owner Amanda Barkey to unpack one of the most powerful (and underrated) skills in leadership: expectation setting.

Together, they talk about:
+ Why guessing at work leads to burnout and misalignment
+ The soft skills that actually move teams forward
+ Amanda’s journey scaling a top franchise and pivoting into EOS coaching
+ Real-life tools leaders can use to create clarity and momentum

If you’re a business owner, people leader, or just tired of putting out fires—this episode is for you.

🎧 Subscribe for more conversations that turn workplace ambiguity into alignment.