The Frontline Industry Podcast

In this episode, Joel continues his chat with employee engagement expert Jim Hauden, founder and former CEO and President of Root Inc. Jim uncovers the 5 blind spots you might have as a leader that you’re totally unaware of (you'll definitely want to learn about those), what it really looks like to practically engage hearts and minds of your employees, how to cultivate a culture of truth tell...

Jim Haudan is a world-renowned leader and company culture expert, and was the founder and former CEO and President of Root Inc, which was acquired by Accenture in 2021. Jim talks about why employees are engaged everywhere in life but work (and how to change that), what he means by the need for "hard lines, guidelines, and no lines" in the workplace, how to unleash the potential of your p...

Mike Lynch is a well-known Diversity Strategist & Practitioner, Speaker, Coach, Facilitator, and HR & DEIAB Consultant. In this episode, Mike addresses the criticality of white men being actively involved in DEI, how to create a culture of “speaking up”, what it means to go “all in” vs just being an ally, the power of conversation in driving change, and much more.

Susan Schmitt Winchester picks up where she left off last week in Part 1. Listen as she shares a vulnerable story about how she was triggered at work as a senior executive and how she handled it, how just because you’re damaged doesn’t mean you’re doomed, the power and importance of self-acceptance, and much more. 

In the most emotional, vulnerable, and raw episode of 2024 so far, the CEO and Founder of Healing At Work, Susan Schmitt Winchester, joins Joel on the podcast. Formerly the CHRO at Applied Materials, and also the former CHRO for Rockwell Automation, Susan discusses being an "Adult Survivor of a Damaged Past" (and how you can figure out if you are one too), overcoming broken relationships...

The charming, elegant, inspiring Donnebra McClendon (Global Head of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion at Dayforce) explains the key trait in effective leadership, the person who will supercharge your career the most (and how to find them), the importance of reading, how believing in the goodness of people can lead to forgiveness and growth, and much more.

I this juicy episode, Joel sits down to talk with Monigo Saygbay-Hallie, Chief People Officer at Checkers and Rally Drive-In Restaurants. Monigo describes her work in driving industry-shattering retention improvements in a fast-food dining environment, how to create a sense of belonging in your company, the power of love and care at work, how to go about recognizing the potential of every individu...

John Boudreau might just be the most intelligent individual to grace the Frontline Industry Podcast. You will learn more in these 48 minutes than you may learn at any other time in your week. Take a listen to learn more about how: People can (and should be) be THE competitive advantage for organizations. Many leaders lack the necessary frameworks and models to effectively manage and leverage their...

She's the founder and CEO of the Devon Group and one of the most widely respected voices in HR. In this episode, Jeanne Achille covers topics like 1) how to have effective communication and boundaries at work, 2) prioritizing employees’ holistic wellbeing, 3) positive trends in workplace tech that you should consider, 4) the dynamics of working with her daughter every day, and much more.

Meg Bear, former President and Chief Product Officer at SAP SuccessFactors, a leading HR software company, joins us on this new episode. She shares her efforts to bridge opportunity gaps, advocates for embracing diversity with courage, and discusses leveraging individual strengths for collective impact. Key Highlights: Embrace diversity and be brave in your endeavors Identify and utilize your uniq...

Thomas is a VC investor, noted former executive at SAP SuccessFactors, and ongoing advisor of top HR tech companies. In this episode, Thomas discussed the origin story of his lifelong learning (he has more degrees than a thermometer), whether or not we should view the explosion of AI through a doomsday lens, the criteria VCs use when investing in a startup, top moments in his career, and much more...

Influencers are everywhere these days, and Steve Goldberg is a leading influencer in the HR Tech space. He joins Joel to talk about his unusual childhood, the impact of losing his family at 33 years old, how HR can deliver strategic value to their organizations, and much more. Don't miss mentions of Al Sharpton, blind mountain climbing, and money laundering in this great episode!

J.J. Cutler, Partner at Heidrick and Struggles, joins Joel for his second time around on the podcast. In this episode J.J. shares: 1. The key to managing someone older than you 2. What the “clay layer” of management is in your company and why it matters (HUGELY important to understand and work through) 3. What you can learn from his mistakes throughout his career 4. What really makes a "good&...

The legendary Monica Rothgery (first woman to become COO for KFC in the US) literally wrote the book on frontline leadership.  In this episode, Monica: Unveils a sneak peek into her brand new book written directly to frontline managers.  She gives her Top 2 reasons you should become a restaurant GM The REAL secret to reducing your turnover (shocker!) And gives YOU a special gift just for you liste...

If you care at ALL about customer experience, you must listen to this episode. Joe Pine is an internationally acclaimed author, speaker, and management advisor to Fortune 500 companies and startups, and he obsesses over customer experience. He write books about it. He lectures about it. It's his claim to fame. You won't want to miss this episode, as Joe explains: 1. How companies really...

Joining the podcast is Derek Tufts, VP of HR at SpartanNash, a food solutions company committed to fostering a people first culture, with over 17,000 associates!  Derek gives his best advice on: 1) How to stand out to get promoted 2) The importance of active listening 3) Heartwarming stories about fatherhood  4) How to choose to see the best in others (seeing innocence)  ...and much more.

In this final 2023 episode, Joel has a meaningful, heartfelt conversation with the delightful Esther Lee, VP of Global Learning and Development at McCann WorldGroup. For Joel,  this episode is one of his absolute favorites in 2023. Esther gets vulnerable and talks about a hard situation that made her cry for weeks as a special ed teacher in the Bronx, the impact of her faith in her professional li...

Listen in to the HR powerhouse, Mike Catanzaro, Chief People Officer at CSC ServiceWorks. Mike reflects on several leadership lessons we can glean from Punxsutawney Phil (yes, the groundhog), the core trait he seeks in a CEO, the impact of being vulnerable with employees about his mental health challenges, and much more.

Jeff Belloli, VP of Human Resources for AEG Presents (one of the largest live music companies in the world) shares his story and unique pivot from pro tennis to HR, how his background in professional athletics differentiates him in his field, the power of meditation that you just might want to try yourself, and much more.

Joel interviews the man, the myth, the retail legend Wes Dudley. Wes is the VP of Customer Experience at Broad River Retail, which owns and operates Ashley HomeStores throughout the Carolinas and Georgia. Wes talks about his take on mentorship, what being a Memory Maker means at Broad River and how that defines the jobs of his employees, the future role of AI for furniture retailers, the most impo...

James Cope is the principle consultant for Phillips Consulting Group. In this podcast, James talks about how “people” are his North Star, the difference makers in manufacturing; he challenges us to consider how financial accounting falls short of treating employees as people, how to create the right environment to truly unlock employee potential, how when you treat people as people good things hap...

Chris Malone in an award-winning author, speaker, thought-leader, strategic adviser and C-level growth executive with experience serving multiple Fortune 500 companies. In this episode, Chris unveils the solutions to the time pressures faced by short staffed healthcare providers, the cost of focusing too much on efficiency, an incredible story of Starbucks workers that will warm you heart, how the...

Joel has a delightful chat with John Garrett, the Catalyst For Culture Change, comedian, award winning author, podcast host, and keynote speaker. Garrett discusses how he helps organizations bring out the human behind the job title, how to authentically connect with your employees, the power of show and tell at work, the untapped potential of your employees that you’re ignoring, and how to love yo...

In this incredibly insightful episode, Joel speaks with Daryl Travis, Founder and CEO at Brandtrust, a brand consultancy offering a more human way to build brands and create meaningful change. Daryl explains why humans don’t really know what they want and how that influences buying behavior and employee experience, why we all  keep our Apple device packaging stuffed in drawers, creating brands vs....

During this heartfelt conversation, Joel talks with Scott Schultz. He's a speaker, executive coach, and facilitator who empowers people to unlock and architect their impact. Scott discusses emotional intelligence and it’s importance for leaders, the huge problem with negative self talk, identifying your core values and truly living them out, and a story he’s never shared before about why he’s...