People On Purpose®

Want to know how to be a better leader, without having to change anything about yourself? Before you listen to this, make sure and take the quiz and buckle up for some free personalized leadership coaching.  In this week's episode, we talk through the 5 different People Leader Archetypes as well as the components of our personalities that contribute to your type.  Learn the elements of d...

This week Kira is joined by Emma-Louise Parkes, an Online Business Coach and Strategist for introvert owned businesses. Before entering the online business space, she spent 17 years in one of the world’s most stressful, male-focused, and extroverted fields: air traffic control. Alongside her time behind the radar keeping the busy skies above London safe, she also became an instructor for new recru...

The process of hiring your first few employees can be intimidating. In this episode, Kira breaks down a few ways you can relieve that hiring anxiety.  Tune in to hear what this looks like for marketing assistants, operations managers, administrative assistants, and more.  Have your new hires complete these tasks to familiarize them with their new position:  Marketing/Social Media As...

In this episode, we are diving into four different types of leadership that can help you coach your team to better results. The first type is direct leadership, where you give clear instructions and focus on getting things done.   The second type is coaching leadership, where you challenge your team members to enhance their productivity by questioning their thinking and expanding the pos...

Are you creating a healthy work environment for your employees? Mental health is a crucial topic, and countless studies show that work plays a significant role in most people’s mental health. So, what are you doing to make sure that your team members experience a positive, healthy environment at work? Here are some places to start: Perspective: Are your employees truly comfortable at work, or just...

How’s your employee engagement? And why does it even matter? Engaged employees are more creative, innovative, and committed to your mission. So how do you foster that engagement?  In this episode, I’m talking about three of the main tenants of employee engagement: Short term: All the things that help your employees enjoy their day-to-day experience. Long term: Encouraging your employees to be...

What does it really mean to be a good leader?  Part of it is avoiding the toxic, narcissistic traits of notoriously bad bosses. But that’s not enough — a great leader actively works to create an encouraging, inclusive, and supportive environment for their employees.  What does that look like in practice? That’s what I’m talking about with Grace Blacksea, founder of Quench Collective. Thr...

How do you create a culture of inclusivity in your business? It takes more than just drafting anti-discrimination policies and giving your employees some pamphlets. You’ve got to model inclusivity and build an employee-centric culture.  This episode is all about inclusivity and discrimination: The financial cost of discrimination complaints 💲 What an inclusive work environment looks like 👏...

Do you really need to find a recruiter or can you DIY your hiring process? It really depends on your business and what you’re looking for in a new team member. The better question is, “How can I create a hiring process that’s inclusive, fair, and able to find the best candidate for my team?” And if you want to do that, this is the episode for you. I’m chatting with Meg McCoy of Meg K & Co. abo...

Let’s talk HR documents: Do you really need all that boring paperwork? You probably already know the answer — YES! HR documentation might not be the sexiest part of running a business, but it’s absolutely critical. And that’s what I’m chatting about with my right-hand woman here at Paradigm: Kiley VanGilder. We chatted about how she helped me build this business from the ground up and covered all...

Is it time to let an employee go? Firing an employee isn’t fun, but it’s something that all business owners have to deal with at some point. How do you fire someone the “right” way? I’ve got lots of HR advice for you: ✔️Communicating your expectations ✔️Documenting your feedback and performance evaluations ✔️Deciding when to fire  ✔️Following legal protocols I’ve also got tips on following up...

Is it time to let an employee go Firing an employee isn’t fun, but it’s something that all business owners have to deal with at some point. How do you fire someone the “right” way? I’ve got lots of HR advice for you: ✔️Communicating your expectations ✔️Documenting your feedback and performance evaluations ✔️Deciding when to fire  ✔️Following legal protocols I’ve also got tips on following up...

What’s the secret to building a successful company? That’s what I’m talking about with Steph Weber, CEO of The Weber Co. We chatted about creating a positive company culture, identifying and leaning into your niche, and being a good leader. That’s not all! Our discussion also covered:  ✔️Hiring — and firing — well ✔️Showing up for your team ✔️Pivoting your business ✔️Communicating effectively...

“Hiring is like dating.” “If you’re not hiring before you’re ready, you’re waiting too long.”  How many of these hiring myths have you seen in tweets and posts from business “experts”? Probably too many. In today’s episode, I’m debunking these common HR and hiring myths that I hear over and over again. I’ve got stories and advice from my own experience and my convos with real hiring experts....

What does it really mean to run a business? It’s not just about knowing your audience and creating offers that resonate with them. You need to know when to scale and how to hire, train, and lead a team.  This episode features my conversation with Lauren Loreto of Brand Good Time. We cover all the ins and outs of entrepreneurship, from hiring your first employee to having an exit strategy. Tun...

You know you need to hire someone to help your business grow — but you’re procrastinating. And the work is piling up. This is a common issue that many small business owners face, especially women. Why? Well, we have a few ideas. This episode covers all the factors that stop business owners from hiring, as well as practical tips for overcoming these challenges. It’s time to grow a team that helps y...

Even with the best training, resources, and management in the world, your employees will need feedback. Sometimes, that feedback is hard to give. Whether it’s telling them they need to provide higher quality work, you want to address their behavior, or you have to let them go… you will eventually have a difficult conversation with an employee. I’ve been there and it sucks. But as an HR professiona...

You’ve thought about it long and hard. You’ve wondered if you can keep doing it all yourself (you can’t). You’ve tried to find another contractor to pick up some of the pieces, but you just need more dedicated help. And now you’re ready. It’s time to hire your first employee. Except… you have no clue what to do. You’re like a deer in headlights. That’s why this episode of On the Up and Up is all a...

This week we are lucky enough to feature Jordan King, who generously shares her knowledge as a serial entrepreneur.  This episode is not about deciding who to hire, but rather about understanding the mindset of the individuals you bring onto your team in order to place them in the appropriate role, even if it is not currently available in your company.  In today's episode, we cover: Prof...

If you’re an entrepreneur, leader, or work in human resources, then this week’s episode was made just for you! When it comes to growing your business, the decision to add employees can feel very overwhelming. The truth is that hiring a new employee can bring comfort and ease in your everyday work life.  If you find yourself wondering Is it time to hire a new employee? These 3 questions should...

This one's for all small business owners who are expanding for the first time! Today, we cover one of the MOST talked about topics we receive when it comes to planning, hiring, developing, managing, and not getting screwed in building your team: the employee vs. contractor discussion. The employee vs. contractor discussion is constantly evolving. There is a LOT of grey area, so it's essential to b...

Please join us in welcoming Braden Adam Drake for our official launch episode! In this witty and amusing episode, Braden and Kira spill some of their experiences in the workforce and stepping into the world of entrepreneurship. If you thought that attorneys and tax professionals were bland, think again! Braden will quickly change your mind while providing educational tidbits. Plus, for all of our...

Welcome to the On the Up and Up podcast! We know that HR can seem boring and not sexy, and we're here to disrupt that. Throughout this podcast, you can expect entertaining anecdotes and insightful conversations as we reframe HR in a new light. In today's episode, our host and founder of Paradigm Consulting, Kira La Forgia, jumps right into what HR encapsulates, how it's always on the growth journe...

Welcome to On the Up and Up! I am your host, Kira La Forgia, founder of Paradigm Consulting. On this podcast, get the real reality behind leadership and management. Not just the buzzwords and HR-appropriate policies, but the good, the bad, and the juicy gossip that comes with the behind-the-scenes of running a business.  Join us as we laugh and sometimes even squirm while shooting the (someti...