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
Starting the Conversation w/ Marion Abrams
Marion Abrams is a podcasting coach & consultant with deep experience in podcasting and content creation. She co-created Spartan Race’s official podcast, Spartan Up (now boasting over 35 million views & downloads), and has worked on a range of projects from social media advisor on a gubernatorial campaign, to creating the documentary film Flood Bound, to directing TV […]
Caring for Others w/ Dr. Paul Spradley
Dr. Paul Spradley is a Certified Diversity Practitioner and the current Vice President of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion for Dollar Bank where he supports their ongoing commitment to an inclusive culture across the Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Virginia markets. Prior to joining Dollar Bank, Paul started the Diversity and Inclusion training firm, Care Based Leadership which is now being […]
Setting the House Rules w/ Jen Alessandra
Jen Alessandra is the Chief People Officer at FrontDoor. Starting in 2019, she guided the company through a rapid and complete transformation into a virtual-first workforce while preserving its strong, adaptable, and action-oriented culture. She is an expert in all aspects of people strategy, including learning, DEI, engagement, and more. In this conversation, Jen explains how FrontDoor […]
Everyone Deserves Access w/ Jo Marini
Jo Marini is the CEO of Mother Superior, a venture foundry focused on bringing VC money and support to underrepresented entrepreneurs. The wheels in her head began turning during her MBA when she found out that 98% of VC investment goes to well-connected white men. Jo quickly realized that women, BIPOC, LGBTQ+, individuals over 60, and disabled […]
Healing Corporate Trauma w/ Laura Aiken
Laura Aiken is a Consultant and Coach on a mission to end Corporate Trauma. She founded Thrive Leadership to help companies build cultures of resilience and inclusion that help their people thrive. Laura is also a registered yoga teacher and leads transformational retreats around the world where she helps leaders build self-awareness, empathy, and resilience. Mentioned in this […]
Designing a Better Workplace w/ Danielle Crane
Danielle Crane is the Vice President of Global HR for OneStream Software. She has been committed to modernizing the human resources field since her entrance over 15 years ago. Captivated by the art of recruitment early on in her career, Danielle was immediately drawn to how it made her feel – creative, results-focused, and value-added. Since then, […]
Creating Companies Where People Thrive w/ Charlie Judy
Charlie Judy is the Chief People Officer at Intelligent Medical Objects (IMO). He leads a collaborative effort to manage a culture and employee experience that attracts, connects, and advances a world-class workforce. Charlie has over 26 years of experience as an HR executive with some of the world’s most prominent professional services firms, including Baker Tilly, Navigant, and […]
The Hierarchy of Employee Needs w/ O’Brien McMahon
This special episode was previously aired on the Gut + Science Podcast in 2021. In it, host Nikki Lewallen interviews our own O’Brien McMahon on The Hierarchy of Employee Needs and his perspective on what employers can do to meet the needs of their people. In the conversation, O’Brien outlines a basic framework and gives examples of how employers […]

