Caring For Strangers

John Moran shares how raising his daughter Willa, who has Down syndrome, transformed him from an agenda-driven leader into someone who leads with patience, presence, and genuine curiosity about others. Through Willa's natural ability to be fully present and connect without agenda, John learned to let go of control, listen more deeply, and see the greatness in everyone around him. This vulnerabilit...

Chad talks with Polly Culp about her superpower of making people feel seen and special. She talks about learning to set tables at camp "as though Christ is going to sit there," her favorite scripture about thinking more of others than yourself, and why genuine curiosity beats any agenda. Polly also shares how her dad modeled loving people, and why the treasure she finds in others fills her cup eve...

Chad talks with Mark Romig (voice of the New Orleans Saints and Senior Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer at New Orleans & Company) about a life spent giving back. He talks about growing up with 23 foster babies rotating through his house, why he looks for volunteer work on resumes when hiring, and how his parents modeled a life of service. Mark also explains how to find the right orga...

Chad talks with Taylor Hughes, an author, keynote speaker, entertainer and storyteller who uses magic to help people realize they don't have everything figured out. Taylor shares why being interested in others beats trying to be interesting yourself, his "generous listening" exercise that changes teams in four minutes, and the questions that get past small talk fast. They discuss why storytelling...

Chad continues his conversation with Oak Smith. This time focusing on prison staff instead of inmates. Oak shares the hard truth about correctional officer suicide rates - seven times higher than the general population - and why that number is so high. He talks about spending years "checking his humanity at the gate" every morning and struggling to turn it back on at night, how trauma from the job...

Chad talks with Oak Smith, former warden of San Quentin State Prison, about his 27-year journey from believing his job was to punish inmates to realizing the prison itself is the punishment. Oak shares how working at maximum security prisons where he had to "check his humanity at the gate" nearly destroyed him, and how San Quentin changed everything. He discusses the data behind rehabilitation, wh...

Chad talks with Nestor Benavides about the conversations we avoid but desperately need to have. Nestor learned early how to navigate difficult talks and he's used that skill to save businesses, relationships, and careers. They discuss why the conversations that make you most nervous are usually the most important ones, how to ask permission before knocking on emotional doors, and why not having ha...

Chad talks with Carter Leak, CEO of Bank of St. Francisville, about what it really means to build community. Carter shares why he and his wife host 3-4 events per week at their house (including a 100-person baseball banquet), how he learned to lead with weakness instead of trying to have all the answers, and why his personal mission statement is "guiding the hurting to hope." They discuss the diff...

Chad talks with Allen Richy, COO of PacTec, about why being crystal clear on expectations saves everyone time and heartache. Allen shares his "cross-examination" style of interviewing that digs deep into candidates' actual experiences, not just their resume titles. They discuss why employees need to be vulnerable about what's working and what isn't, how to create specific job descriptions instead...

Chad talks with Jay Thompson, CEO of SITECH, about the challenge of growing a company while keeping people at the center. Jay shares how he learned to move people from wrong seats to right seats (like Lawson's journey from struggling in sales to thriving in operations), the difficulty of letting go and trusting others with pieces of the business you love, and why developing people has to come befo...

Nate Hill, Regional Director for Young Life, joins the conversation to share his story about surrender and trusting a bigger plan than his own. He shares how to know when it's your will versus God's will, the power of mentors who believe in you before you believe in yourself, and why delegation requires surrendering the need to do everything yourself.

Chad talks with Lawson Eicher, VP of Operations at SITECH, about her journey from struggling in sales to finding her sweet spot in operations. They discuss how she knew she was in the wrong role, what it took to have that honest conversation with her CEO, and how she now focuses on developing people through consistent one-on-ones. Lawson also shares how SITECH shifted their hiring approach to prio...

Mona Remondet shares how she built trust from scratch and created a family culture that's earned them "Best Place to Work" four years running. From revolutionizing onboarding with a 4-week rotation program to investing heavily in employee development, Mona reveals how putting culture over credentials and creating genuine safe spaces drives both growth and retention.

Chad sits down with his COO of 13 years, Amanda Roman, for a brutally honest conversation about their hiring evolution. From the "wild west" days of gut-feeling hires that led to mismatched expectations and team frustration, to building a data-driven process using pre-hire assessments. Amanda shares stories from both their biggest hiring wins and most painful mistakes and shares insights on how co...

In this episode, we explore the concept of harmony in leadership and hiring. Our guest shares wisdom about balancing vision with reality, recognizing potential in others, and creating meaningful connections in business relationships. The discussion delves into how authentic leadership requires acknowledging "the is" – the unbiased truth of any situation – while working toward a vision of what coul...

In this insightful conversation, Chad speaks with leadership coach Meredith Eicher about the transformative power of vulnerability in business relationships. Meredith shares her unique approach to connecting with people through intentional conversation and authentic presence, explaining how vulnerability creates stronger connections in leadership, coaching, and hiring processes.

Bob Goff shares his down-to-earth approach to finding and keeping amazing people in your life. He shares how seeing the best in others creates deeper connections and more joy in everyday life.

Sarah Taylor returns to discuss her journey through human-centric recruiting which has brought her to starting her own company 4C HR Consulting.

In the debut episode of "Caring For Strangers," host Chad Heiser shares his journey of becoming a purpose-driven recruiter with special guest host Sarah Taylor. Chad shares his core philosophy that transforming the hiring process starts with simply caring for the stranger who walks through your door. Putting humanity at the center of recruitment creates better outcomes for both employers and candi...