The Breakthrough Hiring Show: Modern Recruiting, AI, and Talent Strategy

Esra Huseyinzadegan grew up in Istanbul, a city that quickly teaches you to adapt, question assumptions, and see the world from multiple perspectives. Those instincts carried her from academic success in Turkey to leading Global Talent Acquisition at Namecheap, where she builds recruiting strategies for a truly global organization. In this conversation, she shares why context beats templates, how...

Darien May , Head of Global Talent Acquisition at Eventbrite, and Jasmin May , Head of Talent at Verse, share how growing up in a military family shaped their perspective on excellence. The conversation connects disciplined standards, putting people first, and staying close to what matters most. In addition to sharing their story, they share their top TA takeaways from working in TA roles at start...

Emily Zahuta , Senior Director, Talent Acquisition at Horizon3.ai, highlights how a chaotic yet loving Bay Area upbringing and elite equestrian training shaped a builder’s mindset grounded in discipline and self-possession. Emily chose demanding environments, learned to center herself in high-stakes moments, and earned trust through steady execution. The conversation also redefines success as some...

Shannan Farmer , Lead Talent Partner at Freshpaint, details a sharp first thirty days blueprint, from fast ATS upgrades to structured debriefs and centralized feedback, proving that disciplined process can increase quality without sacrificing pace. Shannon breaks down anti sell as a filter for true builders and explains why behaviors like resourcefulness and ownership matter more than pedigree. Sh...

Ashlye Hernandez , Executive Director of Global Talent Acquisition and Operations at nCino, examines how her path from rural North Carolina to executive leadership shaped a people-first approach grounded in respect, resilience, and direct communication. She reflects on early missteps that strengthened her assertiveness, the feedback systems and personal board of directors that fueled her growth, a...

Morgan Whyte , Senior Director, Global Head of TA and Employer Brand at Commvault, shows how early stability and unexpected family challenges forged her resilience and ownership mindset. She outlines the work ethic built through early jobs, the clarity gained from poor leadership, and the choice to pursue stretch roles that expanded her visibility and impact. The conversation reframes talent acqui...

Jaasiel Bulnes , VP of Global Talent Acquisition at Workiva, reveals how growing up amid Miami’s constant motion and being raised in an immigrant household shaped Jasi’s resilience, resourcefulness, and commitment to earning trust. He reflects on the sponsors who advocated for him, the feedback that sharpened his self-awareness, and the shift from driving results himself to building leaders who ca...

Jeramy Keetch , Director of Talent Acquisition at Nerdy, traces how his Midwestern upbringing and global service experiences shaped his leadership philosophy, one rooted in empathy and adaptability. He reflects on faith, family, and cross-cultural learning, connecting those lessons to AI-native talent practices that reveal potential beyond traditional résumés. Books mentioned: - Good to Great by J...

Nicole Hirsch , Sr. Director of TA & People Operations at Lattice, explores how a foundation in philosophy and early leadership as an RA shaped her people-first approach. Nicole and James talk about parallels between Plato and Confucius, and modern hiring. They discuss why investing in people, and redefining success beyond a linear ladder matter most during a major career and life transitions....

Lauren Groshong , GTM Recruiting Leader at Vanta, shares how growing up with grit and humor was foundational to her leadership style. Lauren talks about her time leading business recruiting at Grammarly, and how the leadership team has supported staff based in Ukraine throughout the war with Russia.  Connect with host James Mackey on LinkedIn!  Thank you to our sponsor, SecureVision , for making t...

Lance Sapera , Global Head of Talent at Barracuda, shares how growing up in a Navy family and learning from John Wooden's Pyramid of Success shaped his practical, people-first approach to leadership. From flight deck rules like aviate, navigate, communicate , to modern cybersecurity hiring, he shows how empathy with standards, long-term pipelines, and disciplined systems compound to build sus...

Joe Wilson , Chief Evangelist at Bunq, examines how real startups are built through honest problem definition, relentless iteration, and a builder’s mindset instead of one-off heroic moments. Joe Wilson traces his path from a dorm-room company started to pay for college to a career of stacking small wins into durable results, sharing why most founders oversell themselves and how five hard question...

Annie Andrews , VP of People at QGenda, shares how building a great culture starts with candidate experience and how to build culture for remote teams. She also shares what it's been like to grow from a Recruiting Coordinator to a VP of People role.  Connect with host James Mackey on LinkedIn!  Thank you to our sponsor, SecureVision , for making this show possible!     Follow us: https://www....

Tracy St. Dic , Global Head of Talent at Zapier, discusses how her background in the arts and education influenced her approach to leading teams. She unpacks how each chapter was driven by a desire to make a bigger impact. James and Tracy also talk about what it was like to run a large TA team for Teach For America.   Connect with host James Mackey on LinkedIn!  Thank you to our sponsor, SecureVis...

Ana King , Chief People Officer at Sapi, reflects on her journey from Bucharest to London and how cultural studies shaped her philosophy on leadership and recruiting. She shares how building trust between CEOs, finance, and teams, drives profitability and sustainable growth, from hiring for “smart and kind” to aligning people strategy with business outcomes and leading change through listening and...

Reece Batchelor , currently in a Founding Talent role at Dust, shares a unique perspective shaped by his time as a professional football player. He reflects on how values, transparency, and teamwork are essential to finding great talent and helping them thrive. Connect with host James Mackey on LinkedIn!  Thank you to our sponsor, SecureVision , for making this show possible!     Follow us: https:...

Heather Lother , VP of Talent & People Operations at Crossover for Work, talks about how focusing on skills and transparency can completely change the way teams hire. She shares what she’s learned from coaching managers through choosing candidates, making interviews more meaningful, and turning the process into a genuine two-way conversation. Connect with host James Mackey on LinkedIn!  Thank...

Megan Batterbury , Senior Talent Operations Specialist at incident.io, joins us to talk about what it really means to scale hiring with heart by building efficient systems without losing the human touch. She shares how thoughtful planning, transparent employer branding, and playful team rituals shape recruiting experiences that truly connect.  Connect with host James Mackey on LinkedIn!  Thank you...

Jonathan Lau , Director of Talent Acquisition at Super.com, joins us to unpack how in-house recruiting can bridge the gap between talent strategy and business goals. With years of leading experience, Jon explains how elevating quality of hire over speed reshapes value, the importance of data collection, and candidate experience creating the first touchpoint of influence.  Connect with host James M...

Everett Chaffin , Director of Global TA Operations at Zendesk, joins us to explore how recruiting operations can become a true force multiplier for people. He shares his journey from starting his career at his dad's agency to running TA Ops for Zendesk. He unpacks how AI, standardization, and storytelling empower recruiters to act as trusted talent advisors rather than just process owners.  C...

Sara Chevrette , Head of Global Talent Acquisition at Sonatype, joins James Mackey , to unpack the connection between psychology and recruiting talent. She shares how values drive hiring, pushing for curiosity, and the importance of building a strong culture within the workplace.  Connect with host James Mackey on LinkedIn!  Thank you to our sponsor, SecureVision , for making this show possible!  ...

Greg Troxell , Director of TA at Function Health, joins James Mackey to share how a single comment reshaped his hiring philosophy from resume relay to business impact. He shares how they break down the concept of skills-based scaffolding and how it drives better hires leading to reduced mis-hires. Connect with host James Mackey on LinkedIn!  Thank you to our sponsor, SecureVision , for making this...

Beatriz Lourenco , Head of People at Poolside.ai, joins host James Mackey to discuss her journey scaling from 4 to 150+ employees. She shares how she approached early hires and is building a TA motion that keeps up with rapid growth.  Connect with host James Mackey on LinkedIn!  Thank you to our sponsor, SecureVision , for making this show possible!     Follow us: https://www.linkedin.com/company/...

Join host James Mackey and Steve Bartel , CEO of Gem, to explore what’s happening in today’s hiring market - inbound is up 3x, time to hire has grown by eight days, and recruiters are carrying 55% more reqs. They discuss where AI genuinely reduces workload and boosts efficiency, along with the rise in fraud and interview cheating. Thank you to our sponsor, SecureVision , for making this show possi...

Rachael Becker , Founder & CEO of RB Builds , joins host James Mackey to discuss business efficiency, tech transformation, and creating standout user experiences. With a unique blend of expertise across operations and technology, Rachael shares actionable insights on how organizations can streamline processes, improve internal alignment, and scale sustainably.  Thank you to our sponsor, Secure...