Talent Acquired

Navigating AI in Recruitment – Promises, Pitfalls, and the Human Connection In this engaging episode, Chris (Host) interviews Leah Harrigan, a highly experienced talent acquisition specialist with over 20 years of expertise across agency and corporate recruitment. Having worked in dynamic industries such as tech, construction, airline, and agriculture, Leah brings a pragmatic and insightful view i...

This episode dives into what operations really looks like when a company starts to grow faster than expected — and what leaders get wrong when ops is treated as a reactive rather than a strategic function. 1. When Growth Catches You Off Guard A lot of companies don’t plan their way into growth. They back into it . What starts as a small, focused business can quickly turn into something much bigger...

Authenticity Wins: LinkedIn Branding Insights Unlocking the power of personal branding on LinkedIn! Patrick Kelly from Zoom shares invaluable insights on authenticity, content strategy, and overcoming imposter syndrome. He emphasizes the importance of being yourself, embracing failure, and consistently providing value. Key takeaways: Mix business and personal content Focus on quality over producti...

Dive deep into the essence of leadership in our latest podcast episode where Rick Hill, an experienced sales leader, shares transformative lessons that challenge traditional notions of success. With years of wisdom and experience, Rick offers a perspective guaranteed to shift how you approach leadership, influence, and collaboration. Why You Can’t Afford to Skip This Episode: ✅ Do you want to be...

💡 Most leaders think culture is about perks, pizza parties, or slogans on the wall. The truth? Culture shows up in how your team communicates when no one’s watching. I sat down with Curtis , a seasoned organizational leader, and here’s what stuck with me: 👉 Communication is the baseline. “If I’m 100% and you’re 100%, that makes 300%. The invisible entity is teamwork. And that all starts with mak...

🚨 Most leaders fail at transformation before it even begins. Why? Their team doesn’t believe them. In our latest conversation, I sat down with  Ehrika  to talk about the brutal realities of leading through change. Here’s what stood out: 👉 75% of communication is  nonverbal . Your team reads your body language before they ever hear your words. 👉 Top performers disengage quietly. I...

🚨 Most sales leaders underestimate how brutal transformation really is. The truth? You can’t wait for people to get on board; you’ll lose the race before it starts. In our latest conversation, I sat down with Larry and Paul to unpack what it takes to lead effective sales team transformations, especially in private equity-backed businesses . Here’s what stood out: 👉 Impatience is a strategy. “The...

Thinking about jumping into sales? Here’s the truth: it’s not about perfect timing —it’s about the mentality you bring to the table. I sat down with Mark , a tech professional who made the leap from engineering to sales, and here’s what stood out from his journey: 👉 Perseverance beats instant results. At the 6-month mark, Mark thought he was failing. His boss reminded him: “You’re calling custome...

Most Tech Integrators say they want recurring revenue… but few are actually set up to sell it. 🎙️ Just recorded a powerful episode with Andrew Gross from Xyte — and this one’s packed with insight. We talked about: ✅ What’s changing in buyer behavior across tech ✅ Why managed services still feel out of reach for many integrators ✅ The mindset shift companies need to compete ✅  What type of...

Ever heard of a "skip level talk"? 🤔 It's a powerful leadership technique where executives bypass the chain of command to connect directly with frontline employees. This means stepping out of your office to chat with IC's (Individual Contributors) who see everything on the field. It's not about micromanagement... but about staying in touch with the real pulse of your team's process on what is goi...

The 30-60-90 Day Plan? Straight to the Trash. Let’s be real – no one actually uses that thing. You put one together for your final interview and straight to the trash it goes The traditional 30-60-90 day plan is a waste. It’s filled with shallow milestones, checklist-ticking, and rushing through “stages” that don’t move the needle. Plus, the whole process takes way too long. So, what should a new...

Larry Satterfield breaks down one of the most underestimated aspects of sales success: the sales compensation plan. 💡 Key Insight: A well-designed comp plan isn’t just about numbers—it’s about behavior. It drives motivation, aligns individual goals with organizational objectives, and ultimately determines the success of your sales team. 🚩 The Problem: Misaligned or overly complex comp plans lead...

The question that I really wanna ask you is because you've led a lot of different teams in different environments and have had a lot of successful teams that you built out, I have no doubt that you've had your fair share of underperformers. How do you deal with underperformers? S1 Speaker 1 00:16 - 01:54 The biggest challenge you have as a leader is to figure out why they're underperform...

Welcome to Talent Acquired, a Chris Edward Consulting podcast hosted by Chris Nakiso, where we bring you the stories, strategies and the viewpoints of candidates, hiring managers and recruiters.  The world of talent acquisition has changed dramatically in the last decade. It feels like not so long ago when we printed curriculums and took them to an office dressed in a suit and tie. Now, recru...

Welcome to Talent Acquired, a Chris Edward Consulting podcast hosted by Chris Nakiso, where we bring you the stories, strategies and the viewpoints of candidates, hiring managers and recruiters.  Is today’s situation the perfect opportunity for hiring managers to get exceptional talent? Should your corporation be looking at profiles from outside the industry to cover key positions? In today’s...

Welcome to Talent Acquired, a Chris Edward Consulting podcast hosted by Chris Nakiso, where we bring you the stories, strategies and the viewpoints of candidates, hiring managers and recruiters.  Going from an operational role into a leadership position is not easy. It takes time to master your craft and get noticed plus a lot of strategic decision-making to rise to the top. In this episode o...

Welcome to Talent Acquired, a Chris Edward Consulting podcast hosted by Chris Nakiso, where we bring you the stories, strategies and the viewpoints of candidates, hiring managers and recruiters.  It’s a fact, video conferencing went from being a high-value asset to an everyday tool available to everyone via companies like Zoom. The market for video solution integrators has definitely shifted...

Welcome to Talent Acquired, a Chris Edward Consulting podcast hosted by Chris Nakiso, where we bring you the stories, strategies, and viewpoints of candidates, hiring managers, and recruiters.  Since 2020, businesses were forced to migrate to fully remote ways of operating, selling, and connecting with collaborators and customers, so it is crucial for modern day sales leaders to embrace this...

Welcome to Talent Acquired, a Chris Edward Consulting podcast hosted by Chris Nakiso, where we bring you the stories, strategies and the viewpoints of candidates, hiring managers and recruiters.  Let’s face it, the hiring process of any company takes a lot of resources, energy and time, so when it comes the time to get new talent on board, it is crucial for managers to be prepared and plan th...

Welcome to Talent Acquired, a Chris Edward Consulting podcast hosted by its Founder,  Chris Nakiso. Whether you are a company looking to hire, a professional looking to improve your career or a recruiter helping people connect, this podcast was designed to help us understand how we can improve talent acquisition in the modern era. Join us on this journey through the talent acquisition landsca...