HR Wine Bar

How to Speak CFO: Budgets, Benchmarks, and Barolo explores how HR professionals can build stronger partnerships with finance by speaking the language of impact, risk, and return. Co-hosts Jamie Mohrman and Amy Luckenbill break down what CFOs actually listen for, where HR conversations often miss the mark, and how to translate people strategy into business results. If you want more buy-in, better q...

A CEO’s language sets direction, signals priorities, and defines what accountability actually means inside an organization. In this episode of HR Wine Bar , co-hosts Jamie Mohrman and Amy Luckenbill welcome Tinashe “Nash” Mahupete, President & CEO of QLI , for a conversation in our Language of Leadership Series focused on the CEO lens. Nash shares insight from his journey from frontline caregi...

In this episode of HR Wine Bar, host Amy Luckenbill sits down with Omaha-based employment attorney Jennifer Petersen to unpack why HR professionals need an ongoing relationship with legal counsel—before a major issue arises. Together, they explore the real costs of waiting until crisis hits, the growing legal complexity HR navigates daily, and how proactive attorney partnerships reduce risk, stres...

Work produces experience all day, every day. Learning depends on whether anyone stops to examine it. In this episode of HR Wine Bar , host Amy Luckenbill, President of the Human Resources Association of the Midlands, and co-host Jennifer Tritz, HRAM Secretary, welcome Matt Mainelli , Chief of Mission for Goodwill Omaha for a conversation on reflection as a core professional skill. Matt brings a pr...

Onboarding shapes performance, retention, and confidence from the first interaction forward. When organizations design it as an operational system rather than a one-day experience, it drives clarity, momentum, and measurable contribution. In this episode of HR Wine Bar , host Amy Luckenbill, President of HRAM, and co-host Nicolette Villwok, Vice President of HRAM, welcome Amber Watts, author of Fr...

Psychological safety begins before a new hire feels comfortable enough to name it. Day one sets tone, pace, and permission. In Episode 9 of HR Wine Bar, host Amy Luckenbill, President of the Human Resources Association of the Midlands (HRAM), and co-host Jennifer Tritz, HRAM Board Secretary, welcome Nicolette Villwok, Director of Human Resources at E&A Consulting Group and HRAM Vice President,...

Employment policy doesn’t happen in a vacuum — and HR has a critical role to play in shaping how laws land in the real world of work. In this special HR Advocacy Day episode of HR Wine Bar , co-hosts Jamie Mohrman and Amy Luckenbill sit down with Nebraska State Senator Tony Sorrentino , Vice Chair of the Business and Labor Committee, for a candid, practical conversation about how HR professionals...

HR has a perception problem — and it’s not entirely unfair, but it’s also not the full story.    In this episode of HR Wine Bar, we discuss HR’s PR problem with current Human Resources Association of the Midlands President, Bryn Reed. We unpack what people think HR does, why employees and leaders often feel the way they do about HR, and how trust is lost before HR ever gets in the room. We talk ho...

HR pros know documentation is where things can go beautifully right… or disastrously wrong. In this episode, Jamie Mohrman and Amy Luckenbill unpack how to turn emotional reactions into factual notes, how to document behavior without judgment, and how to help managers stop writing investigative poetry disguised as performance feedback.  If you’ve ever inherited a file that made you whisper “oh no…...

From sticky notes to half-baked emails, bad documentation has a way of coming back to haunt us — usually when it matters most. In this episode, Jamie Mohrman and Amy Luckenbill laugh through the worst documentation fails, share rewrites that actually protect HR and employees, and coach managers on how to write facts instead of feelings. It’s the episode that proves good notes are better than good...

There’s nothing quite like the headache of cracking open a handbook that desperately needs a rewrite. In this episode, Jamie Mohrman and Amy Luckenbill  commiserate over jargon-filled policies, call out the worst offenders, and show you how to turn them into clear, people-friendly guidance. Think of it as the hair of the dog for HR — less legalese, more clarity, and just enough wine to make the ed...

Every HR pro needs a Professional Circle of Trust (PCT) — the crew you can text after a tough termination, call for a sanity check, or lean on when leadership doesn’t get it. In this episode, we dig into why HR can’t be a one-person show, how to build your own circle, and the power of mentors, peers, and diverse perspectives.  Hosts Amy Luckenbill and Jamie Mohrman bring practical tips, a little b...

In this episode of HR Wine Bar, hosts Amy Luckenbill and Jamie Mohrman discuss how employment law is changing faster than a quick draw in an old saloon, and HR pros are taking the bullet. We explore the dramatic swings shaping our profession, what happens when you don’t keep up, and how to stay on top of shifting rules. This is your survival guide to HR’s version of the Wild West — with a glass of...

In this opening episode of HR Wine Bar, hosts Amy Luckenbill and Jamie Mohrman share their paths into HR, the lessons that shaped them, and why community matters in a field that can often feel lonely. They discuss early career stories, memorable HR moments, and the realities of navigating compliance, strategy, and workplace relationships. The episode also introduces the connection between HR Wine...