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
How Work Gets Done (and Evolving it for AI) w/ David Dean
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- People Skills
- People Strategy
- Personal Growth
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The Human Side of Finance: What Makes a Great CFO w/ Pinky Raina
Pinky is the Chief Financial Officer of Ideal Industries, a ~$400M manufacturing company with a global footprint. She leads several enterprise-wise transformation initiatives, enabling the company’s business model to adapt to changing market conditions and disruptive market forces. In her prior role as the CFO & COO at U.S. Soccer, Pinky led the organization through […]
Improving Manager/Employee Relations w/ Secchi Founders Mike White & Ken DeBauche
Mike White and Ken DeBauche are Co-Founders of Secchi, an employee relationship management tool for manufacturing, healthcare, and other shift work environments. In this conversation, they share how the lessons they learned working in these environments influence how they are now trying to make work better for both leaders and employees. Mentioned on the Show: […]
The Evolution of Work w/ Brent Kedzierski
Brent Kedzierski is a sought-after keynote speaker and a leader of connected-worker ecosystems at Hexagon, an international data company working in industries from oil and gas to AI and manufacturing. He is focused on improving the human condition at work and creating a seamless collaboration between humans and machines. Brent has been involved in human […]
Combatting Ageism & Utilizing All Your Talent w/ Patti Temple Rocks
Patti Temple Rocks is the author of I’m Not Done: It’s Time to Talk About Ageism in the Workplace, which was ranked as one of the 9 books Every Professional Should Read in 2019 by INC Magazine. Kirkus Reviews said, “Rocks writes succinctly but convincingly about the proliferation of age bias and its damaging, insidious, and […]
Never Not Working w/ Malissa Clark
Malissa Clark is an Associate Professor of Industrial-Organizational Psychology at the University of Georgia and Director of the Healthy Work Lab. She is the author of Never Not Working: Why the Always-On Culture Is Bad for Business—and How to Fix It. Mentioned on the Show: Never Not Working (book): https://a.co/d/3xGh9q0 Malissa’s website: https://www.malissaclark.com/ Connect with Malissa on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/malissa-clark-0387991a/ […]
Go Big or Go Home w/ Diana Kander
A serial entrepreneur who entered the United States as a refugee from Ukraine at the age of 8, Diana had launched and sold millions of dollars worth of products and services by her early thirties. Today, she is an innovation consultant, leadership development keynote speaker, and New York Times bestselling author whose books have been […]
EVENT ANNOUNCEMENT: Designing Work for Humans: A People Business Summit
In this special episode, O’Brien and past guest Jason Lauritsen announce a unique in-person event for People Business listeners who lead HR. Designing Work for Humans: A People Business Summit will take place in Chicago on June 3rd and 4th, teaching HR leaders design skills they can use in their organizations to solve pressing business problems […]
Designing Learning for Behavior Change w/ Julie Dirksen
Julie Dirksen is the author of the books Design For How People Learn and Talk to the Elephant: Design Learning for Behavior Change. She is a learning strategy consultant with a focus on incorporating behavioral science into learning interventions. She’s been an adjunct faculty member at the Minneapolis College of Art and Design and is a Learning Guild […]
- All Episodes
- People Skills
- People Strategy
- Personal Growth
- Uncategorized
How Work Gets Done (and Evolving it for AI) w/ David Dean
David Dean is an author, speaker, and business AI realist who explores how artificial intelligence reshapes work, judgment, and accountability in organizations. Rather than focusing on AI capabilities, he examines the human elements that remain essential: how people navigate uncertainty, where accountability lies when AI assists decisions, and what holds organizations together when technology accelerates […]
Self-Funding w/ Spencer Smith
Spencer Smith is a Senior Vice President at Pareto Health, a leading employee benefit group captive manager that helps midsize employers reduce health insurance costs and volatility. He is also the host of Self-Funded with Spencer, a podcast focused on self-funded employee benefits plans and the complex healthcare ecosystem. Mentioned on the Show Learn more about […]
Dignity Bridges the Gap w/ Dr. Donna Hicks
Dr. Donna Hicks is an Associate at the Weatherhead Center for International Affairs at Harvard University and the former Deputy Director of the Program on International Conflict Analysis and Resolution (PICAR). She facilitated dialogues in numerous unofficial diplomatic efforts in the Middle East, Sri Lanka, Cambodia, Colombia, Cuba, Libya and Syria. She has taught courses […]
How Small Businesses Compete & Win w/ Sri Kaza
Sri Kaza is a business leader and small business advocate with a career spanning corporate strategy, entrepreneurial ventures, and dedicated support for small businesses. He is the author of Unconvention: A Small Business Strategy Guide. Mentioned on the Show Visit Sri’s website: https://sri-kaza.com/ Connect with Sri on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/srikaza Get Sri’s book, Unconventional: https://a.co/d/d9swnpB O’Brien and Sri discussed the […]
The Customer Experience Mindset w/ Mark Fithian
Mark Fithian is the cofounder of WideOpen, a consultancy that helps organizations achieve sustainable growth through strategic customer experience. Mark’s expertise in CX is informed by more than thirty years of work across industries, partnering with leading brands such as Providence, SAP, PayPal, Optum, IBM, BMW, the American Cancer Society, and Microsoft. Before founding WideOpen, […]
Taking Control of Our Health w/ Brock Anderson & Tracy Awe from Function Health
Brock Anderson and Tracy Awe are Directors of Enterprise and Strategic Partnerships with Function Health, a biometric data company helping individuals and groups take control of their health data to live longer, healthier, more productive lives. Mentioned on the Show Listen to Dr. Mark Hyman on the Huberman Lab podcast: https://www.hubermanlab.com/episode/how-to-improve-your-vitality-heal-from-disease-dr-mark-hyman Learn more about Function Health […]
Hiring Workers with Criminal Records w/ Shawn Bushway
Shawn Bushway has a PhD in economics and public policy from the Heinz College at Carnegie Mellon University and has spent his career in criminology, where he has been recognized as a Distinguished Scholar for the Division of Corrections and Sentencing and a Fellow of the American Society of Criminology. He has published two books […]
No More Goal Setting w/ Radhika Dutt
Radhika Dutt draws on 25 years of experience across industries, continents, and sizes of organizations to write, speak, and consult on innovation and change. Her experience has taught her that goal-setting systems often produce the opposite of what they promise: short-termism, performance theater, and cultures that prioritize looking good over doing good work. In this […]