Punk Rock HR

According to my guest this week, Erica Dhawan, it’s just as important to effectively master the art of digital body language as it is to master the other types of nonverbal language. Erica is the author of a tremendously valuable book on this topic, “Digital Body Language: How to Build Trust and Connection, No Matter the Distance.” If you’re leading cross-cultural teams or you’re just trying to av...

This summer, I'll be reissuing some of my favorite episodes of Punk Rock HR. Here's a conversation I had in 2019 with Professor Amy Edmondson from Harvard Business School and author of "The Fearless Organization". Our conversation about generating psychological safety, inviting participation and using humor to destigmatize failure is still essential today. If you’re ready to empower your workforce...

My guest for today is Mike Kim, author of “You Are The Brand: The 8-Step Blueprint to Showcase Your Unique Expertise and Build a Highly Profitable, Personally Fulfilling Business.” Mike’s expertise has always been invaluable, but it’s essential right now, when so many smart and talented people are pivoting in the post-COVID world. If you want to learn how to position your expertise in the most eff...

My guest for today is Dr. Amy Dufrane, the CEO of HRCI, the leading certification body for human resources — and she’s also a longtime listener of Punk Rock HR! Amy joined me to talk about on the show today to talk about the future of work, the future of human resources, and all things human capital. If you’re like Amy and me and nerd out over all things HR, this is one you don’t want to miss!

Do you have what it takes to become an entrepreneur? My guest on this week’s episode, Gino Wickman, is here to help you figure that out. He’s the author of the book “Entrepreneurial Leap: Do You Have What It Takes to Become an Entrepreneur?” He makes his point clear: becoming an entrepreneur is rewarding, but it definitely isn’t for everyone. Listen in to hear Gino break down all of the parts that...

My guest this week, David Buckmaster, has a ton of experience working for corporate compensation teams. He’s a prolific writer and is the author of the new book “Fair Pay: How to Get a Raise, Close the Wage Gap, and Build Stronger Businesses.” Listen in to hear David’s solutions on providing employees with full transparency, the role that negotiation has in fair pay and HR’s role in closing the ra...

My guest today, Dr. Rebecca Heiss, uses her degrees in biology to help people overcome evolutionary limitations that are hardwired in the brain and improve their self-awareness and leadership skills. She’s also an ornithologist, which means that she can tell us what we can learn about this type of human behavior by studying birds. Listen in to discover the methods you can use to rewire your brain...

Do you wonder why it feels like we’re more connected than ever before, yet it feels so difficult to keep true friendships alive? In this episode, I talk to Smiley Poswolsky, author of the book “Friendship in the Age of Loneliness: An Optimist’s Guide to Connection.” We discuss the reasons why we feel so alone despite always being connected with others online, as well as how to show up as our true...

My guest on this episode is Cyril Bouquet. He’s a professor of innovation and strategy at the Switzerland-based IMD Business School and helps executives bring progress to a changing world. He’s also the co-author of “ALIEN Thinking: The Unconventional Path to Breakthrough Ideas.” In our conversation, Cyril discusses how people can come up with truly original ideas and foster creativity, even under...

In this episode I’m joined by Dr. Jeffrey McCausland, a retired U.S. Army Colonel and author of the book “Battle Tested!: Gettysburg Leadership Lessons for 21st Century Leaders”. He uses the events in the Battle of Gettysburg to explain how one can be a leader in today’s corporate world. Listen to our conversation about Gettysburg and how it relates to leadership, the need for a succession plan, a...

My guest today is Mitchell Kaplan, who has been a bookseller and owner of the independent Books & Books in the Miami area for almost 40 years. We chat about what it’s like managing a small business during the COVID-19 pandemic, particularly with maintaining the community that he’s helped to build in the Miami literary scene. We also talk about keeping employees motivated and how pivoting can help...

My guest today is New York Times bestselling author Julie Lythcott-Haims. She’s the author of the fantastic new book “Your Turn: How To Be An Adult.” It’s a book about adulting, but it’s also a book about overall character and integrity. She shares how you can show up and live a complete, authentic life — no matter how old you are. If you’re interested in hearing from Julie about forging an identi...

This bonus episode is a recording of a live event hosted by Old Town Books. Join me in this conversation with Stephanie Schriock, the former president of EMILY’s List, and Christina Reynolds, vice president of communications for EMILY’s List. We discuss getting women elected to office, as well as how to ascend the ranks of the corporate ladder and finally break through that stupid glass ceiling.

This week I am joined by Whitney Herrington, an HR pro who founded Kith Republic. In my conversation with Whitney, we discuss her new company, the need for workplace coaching for professionals at all levels and the likely future of workplace coaching for needs beyond the world of HR. Listen to this episode to learn how you and your team could benefit from workplace coaching.

This week I’m joined by a fellow author, podcaster, speaker and coach, Andy Storch. In this conversation, Andy shares his experience in talent development and what led him to launch his online group, the Talent Development Think Tank Community. He also shares some ideas from his book, “Own Your Career Own Your Life,” and the challenges of launching a book while undergoing treatment for cancer. If...

This week, I am joined by a dear friend of mine, Doug Shaw, who is a visual artist rooted in music, self-care and speaking truth to power. Doug runs an award-winning project called “We Are All Artists,” which encourages community engagement through workshops, pop-up exhibitions and a weekly free art drop, where he hides a piece of art in his neighborhood for strangers to find. In this episode, we...

My guest this week is John Register, a change-mindset warrior who helps business leaders and individuals overcome adversity and fear, embrace a “new normal” mindset and win at life. John is one of those people who has an inspirational story that leaves you feeling ready to transform your outlook on life. In our conversation, John shares his story of adapting to his “new normal,” the power of story...

My guest today is Sharlyn Lauby, author of the absolutely essential blog HR Bartender and president of ITM Group Inc. I’ve known Sharlyn for well over a decade, and I can say that her body of work just keeps getting better. Not only is she an amazing author, speaker and consultant, but she also recently became a fellow podcast host. Listen to our conversation about the ways that onboarding can be...

My guest this week is Matt Johnson, a communications and change management expert. His story is rich: He’s toured in a punk rock band, worked at the Pentagon during the Obama administration and is now head of communications for Markel International. He’s also the author of a fantastic book, “Work Songs.” In it, Matt argues that song is something that is all but absent from our modern work lives. L...

In celebration of a great Women’s History Month here on Punk Rock HR and everywhere else, I’m super excited to bring you another bonus episode to close out the month of March. My guest is Amy Guth, a Chicago-based writer, speaker, journalist, author and all-around badass. There’s still a lot that we need to accomplish in terms of how we treat women, the systemic issues at play and what we can do a...

My guest today is Ching Valdezco. She’s a global learning consultant with Exec-Comm and helps leaders and teams learn to communicate, influence and negotiate effectively. I met Ching several years ago at a conference in San Jose, and the audience (myself included) was absolutely wowed by Ching’s tips and tricks on how they could successfully negotiate their worth. It was a real pleasure to connect...

I’m sure you’re familiar with that feeling you get when you’re driving along peacefully and, out of nowhere, your GPS will start shouting, “Recalculating!” Sometimes this is exactly what your career path feels like, as well.    My guest this week, Lindsey Pollak, illustrates this analogy perfectly. Lindsey is a career and workplace expert and a New York Times bestselling author with a new book tit...

My guest this week is Rebecca Weaver, a former HR leader who is now the founder and CEO of HRuprise, a platform that connects workers who are navigating challenging issues with independent HR coaches. Sit back and enjoy my conversation with Rebecca about the challenges she faced in her career, what she hopes to accomplish through HRuprise and how HR has the opportunity to be part of the solution w...

My guest this week, Claire Wasserman, is the founder and author of Ladies Get Paid, a platform that helps women advance professionally and financially. The umbrella of her organization covers an event series, an active Slack group and now a book, providing many opportunities for women to share knowledge and support each other. Listen in to find out more about Ladies Get Paid, as well as our discus...

I’m excited to bring you this special bonus episode of Punk Rock HR, in which I speak with a woman in HR who I really respect, Susan Richards. She’s the CEO and founder of Sapient Insights Group and, above all else, describes herself as a “people fixer.” Susan and I talked about how investments in technology can help counter employee burnout, as well as the importance of focusing on well-being as...