People On Purpose®

Ever wondered if social media is actually making a difference in your business, or if it’s just another time suck? 🤔  In today’s episode of On The Up & Up , we answer this question with Emma Tessler, founder of Ninety-Five Media. Emma’s been in the social media game since back when Instagram was all filtered food pics and sepia sunsets (we’ve come so far!). She’s seen firsthand how socia...

Did you know the average business owner wastes 250 hours a year on tasks that could be automated?  Today’s guest, Rachael Mueller, Fractional COO & Systems Expert, is here to help you reclaim that time. She’s an organization fanatic and aims to make herself obsolete for her clients by setting up sustainable systems, tools, and automations so your business runs smoothly – without needing c...

I always tell you to hire based on the role, not just the person you want... but today, I’m eating my words! At least I’m an honest hypocrite 😉 In this episode, I’m excited to introduce you to Ashley Mina , our newest team member at Paradigm. The moment I met Ashley, I knew we had to work together, so I created a whole new department just for her! (I know, do as I say, not as I do!) Ashley’s here...

Leadership is one of the biggest responsibilities you’ll take on in your career. But when you nail it, you don’t have to do it all yourself. You can actually hand off some of those people management duties to someone else (hello, delegation!). As long as you’ve set your future leaders up for success first. That’s what today’s episode is all about: laying the groundwork so you can confidently pass...

We’ve all been sold a big fat lie: that the ability to lead is something everyone’s born with. Let’s talk about this is not only untrue, but it’s also kind of dangerous. Plus, we’re also exploring the real difference between leadership and management. (Yes, they’re not the same thing, even though we tend to use them interchangeably around here.) Let’s clear up the confusion and talk about what it...

It’s here! The fifth edition of People On Purpose®, our signature leadership and management training program, has officially launched – and I want to dive into it. But don’t worry, this episode isn’t a sales pitch. I’m not here to talk you into POP, but to share the philosophy behind POP and why I built it the way I did. Understanding that philosophy gets to the heart of what real leadership train...

If the thought of having a tough conversation with someone you manage makes you want to bolt , you’re not alone - and there’s actually a ton of science behind it. Our brains aren’t exactly wired to enjoy this part of management. In fact, they’re working over time to convince us to avoid sitting down for that challenging chat with an employee.   Today we’re talking about what’s really hap...

Most leaders don’t wake up planning to fail their teams, but sometimes it happens unintentionally.  And one of the biggest culprits is a lack of common leadership language and management philosophy across the organization.  When everyone’s on a different page and speaking a different language, silos start forming, and your team struggles to collaborate effectively. This is especially ris...

Last week, we kicked off a 5 day plan to go from a day-to-day manager to a trusted leader who knows how to boost your team’s profitability and productivity. If you missed that deep dive of the first 2 steps - reflect and observe - make sure you go back and catch that one too! Today, we’re wrapping it up with the 3 final steps: Unite your team with shared values and a common language.  Give ea...

Let’s hit the reset button - on both your management and your team. As managers and leaders, it’s our job to get everyone on the same boat and moving in the same direction. But sometimes it feels like some people are in canoes, some are on jet skis, and some are in a totally different lake.  It happens. But there are simple ways to get everyone back on course, including yourself. In this epis...

LoriAnn Kuntz, a finance expert by trade (and a legal eagle by necessity), never planned on hiring employees.  She had properly classified contractors, and that arrangement was working out just fine…until it wasn’t. As soon as she realized she needed more say over her team’s work, she knew it was time to change up her team’s structure.  It’s one thing to chat about these principles throu...

Ever wonder why some new hires knock it out of the park while others can’t seem to find the ball, despite having all your training videos and SOPs at their fingertips? In this episode, we’re focusing on the major mindset shift that leaders have to make - but often don’t - between sending the offer letter and training their new employee. We’ll talk about how this mindset sets the stage for effectiv...

How crucial is community for small business owners and entrepreneurs?  So crucial that our friend Taryn Rachelle restructured her entire business into a personal brand to better serve the community she'd spent years building. In this episode, we're setting aside our usual convos on HR regulations and team management to dive into community-based business with Taryn. We chat about: Imposter Syn...

Our legal (Bravo) correspondent is back for some BREAKING news about our girls Ariana and Katie and their former Menu Consultant and Karen of the sandwich world, Penny . Also we break down Love Island USA because we can't stop talking about it, and dive into the weird world of sibling drama via the rumor that Sandoval and Rachel's lawyers are BROTHERS? Also, Kelli teaches us about how trademarks a...

There are two sides of the seamless onboarding coin: There’s the one most people think about, which is all the compliance stuff. Paperwork, forms, yada yada yada.  But today we’re talking about the other side: the cultural elements of seamless onboarding that contribute to not only the employee experience, but the leadership experience as well.  Join us as we talk through the 4 stages of...

Let’s talk about one basic skill (dare I say, the #1 skill) that every business owner and leader can bolster within their teams to cultivate a culture rich in accountability, empowerment, productivity, and long-term relationships. This skill is the answer to questions about how to build a proactive and engaged team while simultaneously creating an environment that’s in line with the way that you’r...

As an entrepreneur, you’re not expected to magically transform into a professional recruiter overnight. Interviewing without letting bias crash the party is a learned skill, not something that just pops into your brain the moment you launch your business. But the truth still remains: bias in hiring is a sneaky thief that shrinks your candidate pool down to a fraction of what it could be. Don’t wor...

If there's one conversation we're never putting on mute, it's about the real value of diversity on your team.  Not because 'diversity' has been a trendy buzzword since 2020, but because we've got recent and cited stats to prove that diversity really is better for your business. In today’s episode, we're diving into why diversity is a major win for your bottom line, and we’ll show you how to c...

Happy Juneteenth!  Today we’re honoring the end of slavery, celebrating Black freedom, and celebrating the slow strides we're making.  But part of our celebration as non-Black Americans is recognizing the work we have to put in to keep pushing the needle for racial equity. Now, I recognize it’s not my place as a white woman to speak about the experience of Black Americans. But it is my p...

Think your career's best moments are in the rearview? Think again!  Join us as we dive into the transformative journeys of women who are turning decades of experience - in and out of the office - into entrepreneurial gold. Carmen Reed-Gilkison and Deirdre Harter of Encore Empire are flipping the script on what it means to be a “seasoned professional.” Together, we explore their unique approac...

As a creative entrepreneur, do you ever feel like your job completely transformed overnight?  One moment, you’re working in your creative zone of genius, and the next, you’re knee-deep in job descriptions, payroll, team performance reviews...the whole People Ops shebang.  Not exactly what you had in mind when you branched out on your own, is it? Not everyone loves this shift. Some folks...

Are you checking in with yourself and your mental health? We know Mental Health Awareness Month has been all about how we, as leaders, can support our employees. But let’s flip the script for a moment: what about your own mental health?  What's at risk when you're always operating at full throttle without a break? This week, we have a story you don't want to miss from Mary Beth Storjohann, Co...

You know what feels ickier than having that awkward underperformance chat with an employee in a stuffy conference room?  Having to do it over Zoom.  We’re huge champions of remote work, but it definitely throws in some extra hurdles for managers. Especially when you don’t have the benefit of connection from in-person settings.  Addressing underperformance is never straightforward, n...

Say it with me: “My past experience in corporate America won’t dictate how I conduct employee performance reviews. I’m not here to give negative feedback just for the sake of documentation.”  Performance reviews have a bad rap, but they don’t have to suck. When we rethink the purpose of the review process, it can actually become something everyone looks forward to. Today, we’re offering a new...

 Performance management: Love it? Hate it? Wondering what the big deal is?  It can be a real mixed bag. Maybe you skip into those meetings, giddy to shower your team members with glowing feedback and praise. Orrrrr maybe you’re dragging your when the feedback is a bit more…complicated. But what if there was a way to make performance evaluations less of an emotional rollercoaster… Today’s epi...