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
Self-Funding w/ Spencer Smith
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- People Skills
- People Strategy
- Personal Growth
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Understanding Chance w/ Dr. Michael Orkin
Dr. Michael Orkin is a statistics professor at Berkeley City College and a consultant known for his work on probability and gambling games. He is the author of several books, including The Story of Chance – What’s Luck Got To Do With It?. Mentioned on the Show Read The Story of Chance: Beyond the Margin of […]
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 […]
Modern Leadership w/ Aaron Levy
Aaron Levy is the Founder of Raise The Bar and Stride, two companies focused on helping companies create high- performing teams by building better leaders. He is the author of the bestselling book Open, Honest, & Direct, the host of Raising The Bar on Leadership Podcast, a Thrive Global contributor, an ICF Certified Coach, and […]
Combat Gaslighting w/ Jennifer Fraser
Dr. Jennifer Fraser is the author of The Bullied Brain and The Gaslit Brain. It is her mission to educate people on how to recognize and name these behaviors and stay safe when they show up. Mentioned on the Show Dr. Jennifer Fraser’s website: https://bulliedbrain.com/ Read The Gaslit Brain: https://a.co/d/0fupTc7K Get Dr. Fraser’s book The Bullied Brain: https://a.co/d/09JvZBgo Jennifer Fraser, PhD […]
Slaying Emotional Vampires w/ Daniel Ratner
Daniel Ratner is a relationship coach, speaker, and author helping people build healthier connections by recognizing draining patterns and setting stronger boundaries. He is the author of three books, including Emotional Vampires, teaching readers how to protect their happiness from toxic people. Mentioned on the Show Coach Dan Ratner’s website: https://coachratner.com/ Connect with Coach Ratner on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/coach-ratner-45b4678a/ Check […]
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 […]
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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 […]
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. […]
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 […]
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 […]

