The People Spark Podcast

A resume can tell you where someone has been, but it cannot always tell you where they are capable of going. And, in today’s hiring market, candidates are looking just as closely at you as you are at them. In this episode, we sit down with Lori Culler, founder of AgHires, to talk about what it means to look beyond the résumé. Because the right hire may not check every box on paper. Sometimes you h...

A message can travel through an entire organization and still never really reach the people it was meant for. Somewhere between what was said, what was heard, and what gets passed along, the meaning can get lost. In this episode, we’re talking about the difference between simply passing a message down and actually helping your team understand it. How do we give leaders room to translate a message...

The tide doesn’t ask if we’re ready before it changes. It shifts, pulls us in a new direction, and sometimes leaves us trying to find our footing before the next wave comes in. In this episode, we’re talking about how leaders can navigate those changing tides without constantly reacting to every new thing that comes their way. Sometimes that means focusing less on everything that’s changing and ge...

It’s easy to blame workplace challenges on generational differences, but are we really that different? In this episode, we’re looking beyond the labels and talking about the experiences that shape how people show up at work. No matter the generation, people want to feel seen, valued, respected, and clear about what’s expected of them. As leaders, it’s our job to stop assuming and start understandi...

Before you assume someone’s retirement plan, start the conversation. In this episode, we’re talking about how leaders can prepare for what’s next while honoring the experience and legacy of a retiring team member. We’ll break down how to navigate the awkwardness, reduce risk, and create a transition plan that works for the person, the team, and the business. _______________________________________...

Procrasta-branding /pro-KRAS-tuh-bran-ding/ noun "The act of doing work that feels strategic and productive while avoiding the decisions or actions that would actually move the business forward." Sometimes work feels productive without actually creating progress. In this episode, we explore how fear, perfectionism, and overwhelm can keep us busy while our biggest priorities remain untouched. We al...

Employee engagement gets talked about so often that it can start to feel like noise. We know it matters, but the conversation can become so big that it’s difficult to know where to begin. In this episode, we unpack the 8 Factors of Engagement, a framework that we talk about a lot in our podcast, and helps leaders focus on what actually makes people want to stay, grow, and contribute. The answer is...

AI is evolving FAST, but it doesn’t need to become the center of how we work. In this episode, we explore how leaders can use AI to support their businesses without replacing the elements that keep us connected to our work and give what we do more value. When we apply AI with intention, it can help us think outside the box more freely while making the mundane or tedious parts of our businesses mor...

How do leaders keep growing when they’re the person everyone else turns to? This week, we’re introducing Ag Leaders Edge, a new program built to give Ag leaders practical tools and resources they can use right away. We share why we created it, what leaders can expect each month, and how it can help turn everyday leadership challenges into opportunities for growth. Because leadership may feel lonel...

Most organizations have values. But can your people recognize them in action? This week, we explore the gap between the words on the wall and the behaviors we see every day. Values like safety, service, teamwork, and accountability can pull people in different directions. It’s our job as leaders to make clear what those values actually look like and what takes priority when they colide. --- Cultur...

We’re back together in person, and this week we’re talking about the team member whose negativity seems to affect everyone around them. When is a behavior coachable, and when has the bruise gone too deep? These conversations can be uncomfortable, but avoiding them is still a choice. Because culture isn’t just what we say. It’s what we allow. What conversation have you been avoiding? --- Culture De...

Should we lead with clear feedback or thoughtful questions? We argue both sides of one of coaching's biggest debates and uncover why the best leaders know when to use each. In this series, we pit Erin and Kristen against each other as they take opposite sides of leadership topics. Sometimes they're defending an approach they truly believe in. Sometimes they're arguing the side they don't. The goal...

What happens when leadership becomes bigger than the person leading? This week, we sit down with Paul Kelly to explore what it takes to build leaders who can carry the culture forward, even when you aren’t in the room. Leadership isn’t about having all the answers or getting everyone to agree. It’s about creating enough clarity and trust that people understand why the work matters and know how to...

This week, we explore what happens after a new leader is chosen and before they fully find their footing in the organization. Why do we assume experienced leaders should be able to step in and figure everything out on their own? The first 90 days require more than experience and a few quick wins. Sometimes the hardest part isn’t choosing the right person. It’s creating the support, trust, and rela...

Can a structured interview reveal the best candidate, or do the best insights come from throwing out the script? This debate challenges how we think about hiring. In this series, we pit Erin and Kristen against each other as they take opposite sides of leadership topics. Sometimes they're defending an approach they truly believe in. Sometimes they're arguing the side they don't. The goal isn't to...

Should great leaders lead with clear expectations or with a deeper understanding of the person in front of them? Join us as we take opposite sides to unpack one of leadership's toughest balancing acts. In this series, we pit Erin and Kristen against each other as they take opposite sides of leadership topics. Sometimes they're defending an approach they truly believe in. Sometimes they're arguing...

Say hello to the newest segment on the People Spark Podcast... Versus. In this series, we pit Erin and Kristen against each other as they take opposite sides of leadership topics. Sometimes they're defending an approach they truly believe in. Sometimes they're arguing the side they don't. The goal isn't to win. It's to challenge our thinking, uncover the "why" behind both perspectives, and help le...

Say hello to the newest segment on the People Spark Podcast... Versus. In this series, we pit Erin and Kristen against each other as they take opposite sides of leadership topics. Sometimes they're defending an approach they truly believe in. Sometimes they're arguing the side they don't. The goal isn't to win. It's to challenge our thinking, uncover the "why" behind both perspectives, and help le...

Most of us know what it feels like to avoid a conversation we'd rather not have. But what if the thing you're avoiding isn't actually the problem? In this episode, we explore a concept from one of our recent leadership trainings that sparked more discussion than we expected: Coward's Corner. --- Culture Development Session Schedule your Culture Development Session.   In this free 30-minute session...

This week, we explore what happens after the vision is set and before the path forward becomes clear: the messy middle of strategy. Why do we as leaders get stuck between knowing where we want to go and actually getting there? The tension between strategy and execution is murky water, and the path to growth often requires more than a good plan. Sometimes the hardest part isn't deciding what you wa...

"They should know." Most leaders have said it. Most leaders have thought it. And more often than not, it's a sign that something isn't as clear as we think it is. In this episode, we unpack why "they should know" is one of the most common traps leaders fall into. We explore how assumptions create gaps between what leaders mean and what teams hear. The next time you catch yourself saying, "they sho...

Most leaders assume that if they can explain something clearly enough, people will change. The problem? Logic alone rarely drives behavior. In this episode, we explore why facts, data, and good intentions often fall short when it comes to influencing people. We discuss the environmental factors that actually shape behavior, why resistance isn't always irrational, and what leaders can do to create...

This week, we continue our conversation around change management and unpack one of the frameworks we’ve used for years while teaching at the University of Illinois: the idea of identifying the “vital behavior.” As we reflect on the book Influencer, we talk through what actually helps change stick, why organizations often focus on too many things at once, and how creating real momentum usually star...

Maybe people’s resistance to change isn’t actually about the change itself. This week, we take a little bit of a detour as we dive into some lessons we’ve learned teaching a change management course at the University of Illinois, and unpack one of the biggest challenges we see leaders facing: solving the wrong problem. As we reflect on the idea of “falling in love with the problem, not the solutio...

Wow, we can’t believe it’s been eight years already! Join us this week as we flip through the Wayback Files and reflect on the moments that shaped People Spark Consulting. From leaving stable jobs, to our “Shark Tank” pitch to our husbands, to learning how to define what services we actually offered in those early days of business. And how the risks, failures, pivots, lessons learned, and people w...