People On Purpose®

We're baaaack baby! Kelli Jones and I are at it again with more Bravo legal drama, more HR disasters, and more fun. And maybe a little snark. I mean, we ARE talking about Bravo afterall. Kelli is a trademark attorney, a fellow reality TV aficionado, and my go-to friend for Bravo drama and lawsuit breakdowns. This time, we're covering: Trademarks and why they matter Updates on the Caroline Manzo /...

They might just be faces on a screen, but your employees are real, living humans who need more than KPIs and goals to truly thrive. Don’t get us wrong — clear goals and expectations are 100% crucial for measuring success. You'll never catch us telling you NOT to clearly communicate goals and expectations. But true leadership goes beyond just tracking performance. It's about filling each team membe...

Think your small business doesn’t need Public Relations? Don't write it off yet! You might be wondering how a publicist could possibly help your under-the-radar biz. Or thinking you’re too “small” for a PR strategy. But before you dismiss the idea, let Brittney Lynn share some insights that might just totally change the way you see PR and its potential for your business! Brittney is a thought-lead...

When done right, employee and client appreciation gifts can stop your recipient in their tracks and generate a fantastic ROI. #goals But if you miss the mark, they'll breeze past these gifts without a second thought, tossing them (and your hard-earned business dollars) in the trash as they go. Eh ehm, no, that new client you just signed doesn't feel special opening a box of generic, branded knick-...

“But Kira, aren’t employees more expensive than contractors?! I can't afford to be compliant!” We’ve heard it a million times, and we know why. There's a lot of misinformation out there. So we’re putting this fallacy to rest once and for all.  We’re diving into the 3 actual costs of hiring an employee versus a contractor. What exactly will hit your budget? We'll break down the must-pays (eh e...

Ever feel like you're carrying the weight of your team’s happiness and productivity on your shoulders? It's too much, right? Especially for compassionate leaders who genuinely care about their people. Good news, straight from the HR horse’s mouth! You’re not actually as on the line for everyone’s wellbeing as you may think. Let's rethink our responsibilities as leaders. If you're leading a blended...

Feeling like your biz isn't quite clicking the way you hoped? It’s not just you! Entrepreneurship can be a real cluster f*ck sometimes. But we sit firmly in our belief that sharing stories from those who've navigated the twists and turns to success is what keeps us all going! So today, Jamar Diggs and I giggled our way through this warm-hug-of-an-episode as he shared his leadership journey, from B...

Let's pick up right where we left off, shall we?  Last week, we delved into the DOL's first three factors of contractor vs. employee classification, covering control, investment, and permanence, and how they influence your hiring decisions.  This week, we're wrapping up our deep dive with the final three factors, complete with real-world examples to help you apply them. By the end of thi...

Whew, time to lighten the mood around here!  We’ve spent the last few weeks digging into some heavy stuff, what with the DOL’s Final Ruling and all its implications on your business, and I know we could all use a little reprieve. So today we’re taking a sharp left turn and gossiping in the other language I speak fluently: BRAVO DRAMA!! I’m joined by attorney and fellow Bravohead, Kelli Jones,...

Let’s get down to the nitty-gritty, shall we? The past few weeks we've been painting with broad strokes about the DOL's Final Ruling on the whole contractor vs. employee saga. If you’ve been following along, you’ve def heard us say that there are now 6 factors to consider for classifying your workers.  But we haven't really rolled up our sleeves and gotten into the weeds of what those factors...

POV: You’re totally overwhelmed by the DOL’s Final Ruling on independent contractors. The past few weeks have been a whirlwind of info on this game-changing update from the DOL, and lots of businesses are scrambling to find their footing in this new terrain. So we’re taking a few steps back to come at this whole convo from a different angle. I'm hitting pause on the "next steps" chat to dive into...

Clock’s ticking!! The DOL’s new ruling on independent contractor misclassification goes into effect in less!than!a!week! What does this mean for you?? Well, if you’re a business owner who nods your head “yes” after reading reading these two statements: You understands you’re not in compliance with how you’ve classified your team and are ready to switch from contractors to employees; and,You want t...

Here’s 1 of the 398,402 things nobody teaches you when building a brand and becoming a leader: Your external brand ≠ your internal company culture. Just because the world sees your brand in a certain light doesn’t mean your team has to march to that beat behind the scenes. Few people know this better than Kailtyn Parker of Copy Uncorked. Her business’s brand is strategically drenched in wine cultu...

Psst…I don’t know who needs to hear this, but: It’s time we move past the old-school belief that real work only happens when we’re all parked in office chairs. That mindset is as outdated as the office cubicles tech giants are trying to herd their talent back into (oops! Guess I do know who needs to hear this!)  Do remote work relationships crash and burn sometimes? For sure. But it’s not alw...

What’s your most unpopular opinion as a manager or people leader? I’m sharing mine this week, and it’s going to ruffle some feathers. It’s about one of my rules for internal communication with my remote team, and it’s one that I think a lot more leaders should adopt. This one small boundary has helped me establish a company culture steeped in respect for my team's space and energy, while aligning...

Think leading a remote team is just a game of juggling Zoom calls and Slack messages in an effort to herd your team in a march towards deadlines? Think again.  It's actually a trust-building marathon, and many leaders are dropping the baton by not establishing trust early or consistently enough with their team, leading to some major backfires. Building trust and accountability with a remote t...

Ever wondered how people successfully go from solopreneur to CEO with a team? The secret isn't about nailing one specific management style or mastering a recruiting trick. It's really about how your team comes together around your business’s growth goals, starting with an intentional hiring process that paves the way for everyone's success. So why isn’t everyone who hires a team thriving and massi...

As business owners, people managers, and CEOs, we often overlook the significant impact company culture has on our leadership experience. It's important to realize that culture is not just about creating a fun workplace (though we’re all about making work fun if that’s your vibe!); it's crucial in fostering productivity and ensuring the collective success of your team, which directly influences th...

This week, we’re excited to have Meg Evans from Born To Roam Bookkeeping on the podcast to chat all about making that first hire for your business.  Meg is a licensed CPA, numbers nerd, and small business bookkeeper. She is the founder and CEO of Born to Roam Bookkeeping LLC, a virtual boutique bookkeeping agency based out of California. She and her team are on a mission to empower and equip...

When you’re thinking about building and shaping your company culture, you might be tempted to go along with the trends of online business and offer your team allll the flexibility they “want.” But what we’re actually seeing is that too much flexibility isn’t actually as rewarding for people to work within as we may think. Turns out, people don't just need structure to thrive at work—they actually...

Happy New Year! Let’s start 2024 fresh by getting back to basics.  Like, realllly basic. In this episode, I'm talking about what we actually mean when we say "HR compliance" and exploring its significance for all businesses regardless of location, size, or industry. HR compliance isn't JUST about adhering to laws and regulations related to employment (although yes, that is its #1 function); i...

It’s our anniversary! To celebrate one-year since launching On The Up & Up, we've got a special treat lined up for this week's episode. We're switching things up and letting some of our amazing clients take the spotlight. They're here to share the real-deal lessons they've learned while building their online businesses. This episode is all about answering one big question: 'If you could go bac...

This week Kira talks about how to plan, prepare for, and facilitate a meaningful and valuable end of year team meeting. Since this meeting should be a little different than your standard all-team, we knew this topic required its own spotlight! If you take away nothing else from this episode, remember this: your employees don’t need a regurgitation of metrics around your successes and failures from...

In this episode, Kira dives into planning for the worst in sales. She explores the empowering mindset needed during uncertainties, the transformative value of seeing your team as an investment, and the importance of maintaining transparency, legality, perspective, and having HR processes in place. Join Set To Scale: https://www.the-paradigm.com/setoscale Key Points: Mindset: Embrace the exciting r...

Dr. Taylor Day joins us on the podcast this week to shed some light on neurodiversity in the workplace (and beyond!) Dr. Taylor Day is a licensed psychologist with expertise in the early diagnosis and intervention of autism. She has a PhD in clinical psychology and her own private practice is centered on The Whole Family Approach, a process Dr. Tay has founded and perfected over the years. Dr. Tay...