The Within Podcast

How do you know when it’s time for something different? In this episode, Nicky and Heidi unpack Heidi’s career journey—from starting in accounting to spending 30 years in corporate HR, and eventually pivoting into a new season focused on health, wellbeing, and purpose. Through a series of roles across large organizations, startups, and consulting, Heidi shares how relationships—not job application...

What does it really take to build a life that feels good—financially, physically, and mentally? In this episode, Nicky and Ali are joined by Vicki Davis, who shares her journey from growing up with limited resources to building a 40+ year career in mortgage lending, while also becoming a fitness coach and community leader. Vicki brings a powerful perspective on how financial wellbeing, physical he...

In this special “I Wish I Would Have Known” episode, we sit down with Vicki Davis to talk about one of the most freeing realizations in life and leadership: letting people be who they are. Vicki shares how being raised by her grandmother shaped her belief in loving people as they are—but also how that mindset evolved over time. Through life experience and inspiration from Mel Robbins’ “Let Them” c...

What does leadership really look like behind the scenes? In this episode, Nicky and Heidi sit down with Nola to unpack her experience as both outside counsel and in-house leader—and how that shift gave her a completely different perspective on people, communication, and decision-making. From documenting performance conversations to navigating difficult employee situations, Nola shares what most or...

We’re all different—so why are we treated the same when it comes to our health? In this episode, Nicky and Ali dive into their experiences navigating pregnancy in their late 30s and early 40s, and what it really feels like to be labeled “geriatric” in a healthcare system built on generalizations. From unexpected conversations during routine appointments to the increase in testing and assumptions b...

In this special I Wish I Would Have Known episode, Nicky sits down with her sister Ali Sartain to talk about a lesson many people learn later in life — the importance of listening to your body and paying attention to the signals it gives you. About Our Guest Allie Sartain is an Integrative Trichologist and women’s health advocate. She helps women stop guessing and start understanding their bodies....

Hiring a fractional partner can give your business the expertise it needs—without the full-time commitment. But not all fractional support is created equal. In this episode, Nicky and Ali dive into the questions every business owner should be asking before hiring a fractional HR partner (or any fractional role). They unpack the importance of aligning business strategy with people strategy, underst...

In this special “I Wish I Would Have Known” episode, Nicky Wallace sits down with Jim Roy to talk about a lesson many business leaders learn on the job: how to understand financial statements. Jim shares how stepping into leadership forced him to learn how to read balance sheets, interpret numbers, and make sense of financial reports — skills that aren’t always taught in school but are critical wh...

In this episode, Nicky Wallace welcomes Jim Roy o PWS Employment Solutions to talk about the realities of recruiting in today’s workforce. With years of experience in staffing and direct placement, Jim shares insights into how the hiring process has changed and what companies can do to create a better experience for candidates. From responding to applicants to building intentional hiring processes...

What if the symptoms you’re experiencing are your body trying to tell you something? In this episode, Nicky Wallace sits down with Integrative Trichologist Ali Sartain to talk about epigenetics — how your lifestyle, environment, stress, and nutrition influence how your genes are expressed. Nicky shares parts of her personal health journey and how learning about epigenetics helped her uncover facto...

You’re Not for Everyone and That’s the Point In this special edition of Wish I Would Have Known, Nicky shares a deeply personal reflection on identity, feedback, and the cost of trying to become someone you’re not. After years in a high-performance sales environment, she found herself chasing results while quietly losing clarity about who she actually was. The feedback kept coming. The expectation...

Before You Fix Culture, Do This Organizations often come to us asking for a specific solution. An engagement survey. A wellbeing program. A culture initiative. A human resource audit. And while those may be valid tools, they are rarely the right starting point. In this episode of Within, we unpack why organizational audits and culture exercises must come before solutions. Before adding more progra...

In this episode of Within, Nicky Wallace sits down with Allie Sartain, an Integrative Trichologist and women’s health advocate, for an honest conversation about the hidden struggles so many women carry while still trying to show up for their families, businesses, and everyday lives. Allie helps women stop guessing and start understanding their bodies. Blending scalp science, nervous system regulat...

In this episode of Within's podcast, I Wish I Would Have Known series, Heidi shares a powerful moment: asking her kids at 18 what she could have done better as a mom. Both of them said the same thing—nutrition. From busy sports schedules and drive-through dinners to learning about gut health, whole foods, and the differences between male and female fasting, this conversation explores what it means...

In this episode of Within, Nicky shares the deeply personal journey that led to the creation of The Potential Within. After the birth of her second daughter, what began as subtle health symptoms quickly escalated into a two-year medical journey filled with chronic pain, misdiagnoses, invasive testing, anxiety, and isolation. From being told she was “fine” to preparing for a possible cancer diagnos...

SUMMARY In this episode of the Within Podcast, host Nicky is joined by Ali and Heidi for a deeper conversation on organizational culture with a specific focus on listening sessions. What begins as a discussion about employee feedback becomes a practical breakdown of how organizations can better understand what their people actually need without relying only on surveys or assessments. Ali explains...

SUMMARY In this special I Wish I Would’ve Known edition of the podcast, Nicky, Ali, and Heidi unpack one of the most deceptively simple but impactful lessons of their careers: learning how to truly own their time. What starts as a conversation about calendars quickly turns into a deeper reflection on identity, productivity, and the pressure especially for women to always appear on and busy. Heidi...

SUMMARY In this episode of the Within Podcast, co-hosts Allie, Heidi, and Nikki unpack one of the most talked-about yet misunderstood aspects of business success, culture. Drawing on decades of combined experience across fractional HR, large enterprise leadership, and organizational consulting, the trio digs into what culture actually is (hint: it's not your office or perks), why it matters more t...

SUMMARY In this special edition of the Within Podcast series “I Wish I Would've Known,” We sit down for a candid conversation about unlearning the toxic time constraints of corporate life and embracing a more human, flexible approach to work. Nicky reflects on her early days in recruiting under the notorious "1-24 Rule"—a rigid system where emails had to be acknowledged within one hour and resolve...

SUMMARY In this candid and insight-packed episode of the Within Podcast, hosts Nicky Wallace and Ali Payne unpack the latest McKinsey Women in the Workplace 2025 report and reflect on the real-world implications they’ve seen across their careers. Drawing on their experiences in corporate leadership and entrepreneurship, they explore the hard truths behind why women are stepping back from advanceme...

SUMMARY In this episode of the "Wish I Would've Known" series from the Within Podcast, Heidi opens up about a deceptively simple but powerful idea: the courage to ask questions. Alongside co-hosts Nicky and Ali, she dives into her personal evolution from feeling silenced to embracing curiosity as a superpower, especially in midlife, leadership, and healthcare. What begins as a reflection on childh...

EPISODE SUMMARY In this foundational episode of The Within Podcast, hosts Nicky Wallace and Ali Payne pull back the curtain on what makes The People Co such a transformative partner for businesses. With decades of combined experience, they break down their approach to aligning people strategy with business growth, starting with fractional HR and recruiting, expanding into deep employee experience...

SUMMARY In this deeply personal and refreshingly honest episode of the Within podcast’s “I Wish I Would’ve Known” series, the speaker (name not specified) opens up about her year-and-a-half-long struggle with a seemingly simple goal: losing five pounds. Despite being a dedicated runner with healthy habits, sleep tracking via an Oura Ring, balanced blood glucose levels, and functional medicine chec...

Summary In this debut episode of Within, hosts Nicky Wallace and Ali Payne unpack the deeply personal journeys that led them to create The People Co, a consultancy born from burnout, bold pivots, and a shared belief that real transformation starts from the inside out. Nicky shares how motherhood, corporate disillusionment, and health challenges led her to quit her high-performing sales job with no...