People Business w/ O'Brien McMahon

George Watts is Chairman of Top Line Talent and a nationally recognized author, behavioral scientist, and senior executive. He coaches CEOs on how to build and lead formidable C-Suite teams and is the author of several books, including Becoming Your Own Business Coach and Becoming a Strategic Leader. His passion is inspiring people to mature their natural personality strengths. Laurie Blazek is Pr...

Julie Jones is a business protocol and etiquette expert, sought-after public speaker, corporate trainer, and educator. She is certified by the Protocol School of Washington.  Mentioned on the Show Learn more about Julie’s work on her website, Today’s Professionals: https://www.todaysprofessionals.com/ Julie’s profile on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/therealjulieajones Follow Julie on Insta...

Dave Moore is a partner at Laner Muchin and the firm’s Employment Litigation Department Co-Chair. While Dave spends much of his time defending employers in employment litigation of all shapes and sizes, he has focused much of his 20+ years as an employer lawyer on keeping employers out of the courtroom. Dave has been recognized among Illinois Super Lawyers and Leading Lawyers in 2024 and 2025. Dav...

Amber Pandya loves to help people and businesses thrive. She proves this every day in her role as Senior Director of Employee Experience at G2, where she helps employees reach their PEAK.  Mentioned on the Show Connect with Amber Pandya on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/amberpandya Amber’s profile on G2: https://learn.g2.com/author/amber-pandya PEAK— P erformance; E ntrepreneurship; A uthen...

Michael Cupps is a productivity expert who has been in technology sales and marketing for over thirty years. He learned the importance of productivity from an early age due to his upbringing on a farm in Texas, which taught him the value of hard work, prioritization, and managing time wisely. Michael applies these lessons to his work helping individuals and teams to make the most of their time and...

Keren Eldad is the author of Gilded: Breaking Free from the Cage of Ambition, Perfectionism, and the Relentless Pursuit of More. She specializes in taking high achievers out of the futility of constant pursuit and into their greatest levels of success and fulfillment. Her coaching clients include Olympic athletes, politicians, Hollywood stars, supermodels, Special Forces operatives, and serial ent...

Cash Nickerson is chairman of AKKA North America’s Business Unit. He was President, CFO, General Counsel, and the second largest shareholder of PDS Tech prior to its purchase by AKKA Technologies. Prior to that he served as an attorney and marketing executive for Union Pacific Railroad, a partner at Jenner & Block, and chairman and CEO of an internet company. Mr. Nickerson, author of several b...

Jordan Burton is an executive assessor and interview trainer, working with top VC/PE investors and high-growth startups to hire the best of the best. He has trained over 3,000 executives and investors on hiring and interviewing skills, working with companies like Sequoia Capital, TH Lee, Insight Partners, Twilio, and Scale AI, and over 50 venture-backed startups. He was formerly a Partner at leade...

Alexandra Levit is a writer, consultant, speaker, workplace expert, and futurist. She has written ten business and workplace books and is currently a nationally syndicated columnist for the Wall Street Journal. In 2019, she was named to "The Thinkers 50 Radar" List. Mentioned on the Show Connect with Alexandra on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexandralevit Learn more about Alexa...

Ashley Elmore is the Vice President of Human Resources at Meow Wolf, an arts production company that creates immersive, multimedia experiences that transport audiences of all ages into fantastic realms. In this conversation, she shares lessons learned from building and perpetuating a creative, collaborative culture. Mentioned on the Show Watch Origin Story, the Meow Wolf Documentary: https://meoww...

Tricia Sanders is the Founder & Lead Strategist at High Five Strategies. She and her team are the people leaders call when they need help connecting the dots between current- and goal-state. Tricia is an expert at challenging long-standing assumptions and drives creative yet pragmatic results. Prior to this work, she was COO at First Bank in St. Louis and an officer in the United States Army w...

Ben Eubanks is a writer, speaker, and researcher living in Huntsville, Alabama. His work has been featured in numerous industry publications and his books have been cited by some of the world’s most prestigious universities as a method for instructing the next generation of HR professional. Ben spends his days as the Chief Research Officer for Lighthouse Research & Advisory, a firm that examin...

Rachel Hanson is a Builder with Built to Lead, a band of personal and leadership coaches helping individuals and teams awaken and transform. Prior to joining BTL, Rachel spent 12 years as a Division I Women's Softball head coach at Stanford and Dartmouth. Mentioned on the Show Learn more about Build to Lead: https://builttolead.com/ Rachel’s profile on the Build to Lead site: https://builttol...

Gretchen McMahon has had a wide and varied career as a horse show announcer, needlepoint belt maker, and sports photographer, all while raising her three boys full-time (one of whom happens to host this podcast). For our 200th episode, please welcome O'Brien's mom to the show. In this conversation, Gretchen shares how she has repeatedly adapted her work to align with her passions, buildi...

Mag Retelewski is the driving force behind Clarteza, an innovation consultancy dedicated to amplifying growth through deep consumer understanding rooted in psychology and neuroscience. With 20 years of experience as an innovation strategist, she has advised Fortune 500 and mid-sized companies, including brands like Nestlé, Gallo, S.C. Johnson, Honest Company, Purina, and Blue Diamond Growers and m...

Brad Englert is the author of Spheres of Influence: How to Create and Nurture Authentic Business Relationships , a practical guide to help emerging and established leaders develop and perfect the critical hard skill of building effective and lasting professional relationships. Brad has over 40 years of experience in the private and public sectors, including 22 years at Accenture and eight as Chief...

Carrie O'Neill is the owner of Possibilities Farm where she leads Equine Education Experiences for individuals and corporate teams. Carrie is a dynamic speaker and author who uses horse wisdom to help clients shift perspectives and reveal new possibilities. Her diverse leadership experiences as a healthcare regulatory attorney, hospital association executive, and consultant contribute to a un...

Cheryl Fields Tyler is the founder and CEO of Blue Beyond Consulting. Cheryl’s focus for over 30 years has been building organizations where both the business and the people thrive. Blue Beyond recently released an updated study analyzing what different generations look for in their work.  Mentioned on the Show Blue Beyond Consulting: https://www.bluebeyondconsulting.com/ Send Cheryl an email: che...

Charles Feltman has spent 25 years as an executive and leadership coach helping individuals, teams, and entire organizations become exceptional at building and maintaining strong trust. Charles is the author of The Thin Book of Trust: An Essential Primer for Building Trust at Work, now in its 3rd edition. Mentioned on the Show The Thin Book of Trust (book): https://a.co/d/0kT51MI Charles Feltman o...

John Block is the CEO and Co-Founder of Unity Partners, a principles-based private equity firm that partners investors and operators to build better together. John serves in multiple senior leadership roles across the firm and is responsible for helping drive Unity’s Partner & Propel investment strategy while working with the firm’s investment teams to identify strong, ambitious leaders in att...

Wayne Turmel has been writing about how to develop communication and leadership skills for almost 30 years. He has taught and consulted at Fortune 500 companies and startups around the world. For the last 18 years, he’s focused on the growing need to communicate effectively in remote and virtual environments. Mentioned on the Show Wayne Turmel's website: https://wayneturmel.com/ Connect with...

Elizabeth Lotardo returns to the podcast to discuss her new book, Leading Yourself. Elizabeth is a consultant, writer, and online instructor who helps organizations drive emotional engagement. Leading Yourself has been called a "refreshingly candid playbook that helps you create a work experience worth loving, right now". Mentioned on the Show Elizabeth Lotardo’s website: https://www.eli...

Julian Posada is the founder and President of LiftUp Enterprises, a for-profit holding company that focuses on low-income individuals' economic and social outcomes. Prior he was COO of The Resurrection Project. Julian has served on numerous non-profit boards over his career. Currently, he sits on the boards of the Chicago Public Media (WBEZ/SunTimes), BBB, Metropolitan Planning Council (MPC),...

Justin Holland is the CEO and Co-Founder of HealthJoy where he's revolutionizing the healthcare experience by seamlessly blending cutting-edge technology with exceptional service. A serial entrepreneur with a proven track record, Justin has founded and successfully exited multiple VC-backed technology ventures. A sought-after thought leader, he frequently shares his insights on digital health...

Fred Rutler is a Managing Director at Creative Planning Retirement Services where he helps companies create and manage various employee retirement programs. Mentioned on the Show Connect with Fred Rutler on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/frutler Timestamps (2:10) - Welcoming Fred. (3:18) - What are the different vehicles companies are using for employee retirement planning? (4:44) - What is...