
People Business is a weekly podcast exploring human nature in the workplace. Every business is in some way a "people business" and it's often how we manage these dynamics that leads to long-term success or failure.
Latest Episodes
The Holy Shift w/ Dan Michelson
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- People Skills
- People Strategy
- Personal Growth
- Uncategorized

How to Ask if Someone Needs Help w/ Cece Sykes
Cece Sykes, LCSW, ACSW, is a consultant and senior trainer with the Internal Family Systems Institute where she specializes in trauma and addiction and educates therapists internationally on how to apply the IFS therapy model to addictive processes. In this episode, she shares ways concerned bosses, colleagues, and friends can broach the subject of addiction …

Staying Agile & In The Game w/ Pamela Meyer
Pamela Meyer is a leading Agile Innovation expert who works with leaders, teams, and organizations that need to be more agile and innovative to compete in a rapidly changing world. She is the author of five books on agility, innovation, and learning, including her newest book, Staying in the Game: Leading and Learning with Agility for …

Better Relationships, Better Business w/ Megan Lally
Megan Lally is the CEO at Highdive, an award-winning advertising firm working with clients like Jeep, Rocket Mortgage, State Farm, Donate Life America, Allstate, and Fifth Third Bank. She was recognized in AdAge’s “40 Under 40” list. In this conversation, she shares how Highdive creates better work by focusing on the relationships employees have with …
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Changing My Mind on Employee Recognition w/ Meisha-ann Martin
Meisha-ann Martin is the Senior Director, People Analytics & Research at Workhuman. She has a PhD in Industrial/Organizational Psychology and has spent almost twenty years as a researcher and practitioner on topics like recognition, wellness, inclusion and psychological safety. In this episode, we talk about employee recognition programs and adjust some of O’Brien’s preconceived notions. …
Changing My Mind on Employee Recognition w/ Meisha-ann Martin Read More »

The Psychology of Money (and Creating Healthy Habits) w/ Meghaan Lurtz
Dr. Meghaan Lurtz is a Professor at Kansas State University where she teaches courses for the Advanced Financial Planning Certificate Program, a lecturer at Columbia University where she teaches Financial Psychology, an undergraduate adjunct professor through the University of Maryland system in their CFP program, and a writer and Senior Research Associate with Kitces.com, a …
The Psychology of Money (and Creating Healthy Habits) w/ Meghaan Lurtz Read More »

Employee Anthropology w/ Gina Fong
As a clinical assistant professor in the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University, Gina Fong teaches Ethnographic Customer Insights. She was voted “Professor of the Year” by Kellogg’s 2023 graduating class. In this conversation, we discuss how her work translates to understanding and improving the employee experience. Mentioned in this Episode: Gina Fong on …

Buying & Selling a Business w/ Jim Suprenant
Jim Suprenant is the Senior Managing Partner at Guggenheim Partners. A career investment banker, Jim joins the show to discuss the ins and outs of buying and selling businesses. Mentioned in this Episode: Guggenheim Partners: https://www.guggenheimpartners.com/ Go Big or Go Home (book): https://www.amazon.com/Go-Big-Home-Customer-Experience/dp/1544536364 Time Codes (1:48) – Welcoming Jim. (2:12) – What is an investment banker? (6:41) …

Navigating Life’s Disruptions w/ Linda Rossetti
Linda Rossetti is a business leader, Harvard MBA, and pioneering researcher who has dedicated her career to advancing our understanding of personal and organizational transformation. She is the author of two books, Dancing with Disruption and Women & Transition. She also hosts a podcast called Destination Unknown. Mentioned on the Show: Dancing With Disruption (book) https://www.amazon.com/Dancing-Disruption-Approach-Navigating-Biggest/dp/1538169371 Women in Transition (book) https://www.amazon.com/Women-Transition-Reinventing-Work-Life/dp/1137476540 …
- All Episodes
- People Skills
- People Strategy
- Personal Growth
- Uncategorized

The Holy Shift w/ Dan Michelson
Dan Michelson is the CEO of InCommon and author of Holy Shift! Moving Your Company Forward to the Future of Work. In addition to his work at InCommon, he is an Adjunct Professor at the Quinlan School of Business at Loyola University. In this conversation, Dan talks about historical shifts that have rocked the workplace and how …

How to Ask if Someone Needs Help w/ Cece Sykes
Cece Sykes, LCSW, ACSW, is a consultant and senior trainer with the Internal Family Systems Institute where she specializes in trauma and addiction and educates therapists internationally on how to apply the IFS therapy model to addictive processes. In this episode, she shares ways concerned bosses, colleagues, and friends can broach the subject of addiction …

Staying Agile & In The Game w/ Pamela Meyer
Pamela Meyer is a leading Agile Innovation expert who works with leaders, teams, and organizations that need to be more agile and innovative to compete in a rapidly changing world. She is the author of five books on agility, innovation, and learning, including her newest book, Staying in the Game: Leading and Learning with Agility for …

Better Relationships, Better Business w/ Megan Lally
Megan Lally is the CEO at Highdive, an award-winning advertising firm working with clients like Jeep, Rocket Mortgage, State Farm, Donate Life America, Allstate, and Fifth Third Bank. She was recognized in AdAge’s “40 Under 40” list. In this conversation, she shares how Highdive creates better work by focusing on the relationships employees have with …
Better Relationships, Better Business w/ Megan Lally Read More »

Changing My Mind on Employee Recognition w/ Meisha-ann Martin
Meisha-ann Martin is the Senior Director, People Analytics & Research at Workhuman. She has a PhD in Industrial/Organizational Psychology and has spent almost twenty years as a researcher and practitioner on topics like recognition, wellness, inclusion and psychological safety. In this episode, we talk about employee recognition programs and adjust some of O’Brien’s preconceived notions. …
Changing My Mind on Employee Recognition w/ Meisha-ann Martin Read More »

The Psychology of Money (and Creating Healthy Habits) w/ Meghaan Lurtz
Dr. Meghaan Lurtz is a Professor at Kansas State University where she teaches courses for the Advanced Financial Planning Certificate Program, a lecturer at Columbia University where she teaches Financial Psychology, an undergraduate adjunct professor through the University of Maryland system in their CFP program, and a writer and Senior Research Associate with Kitces.com, a …
The Psychology of Money (and Creating Healthy Habits) w/ Meghaan Lurtz Read More »

Employee Anthropology w/ Gina Fong
As a clinical assistant professor in the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University, Gina Fong teaches Ethnographic Customer Insights. She was voted “Professor of the Year” by Kellogg’s 2023 graduating class. In this conversation, we discuss how her work translates to understanding and improving the employee experience. Mentioned in this Episode: Gina Fong on …

Buying & Selling a Business w/ Jim Suprenant
Jim Suprenant is the Senior Managing Partner at Guggenheim Partners. A career investment banker, Jim joins the show to discuss the ins and outs of buying and selling businesses. Mentioned in this Episode: Guggenheim Partners: https://www.guggenheimpartners.com/ Go Big or Go Home (book): https://www.amazon.com/Go-Big-Home-Customer-Experience/dp/1544536364 Time Codes (1:48) – Welcoming Jim. (2:12) – What is an investment banker? (6:41) …