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
Why We Resist Change (Even When It’s Positive) w/ Travis Hahler
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- People Skills
- People Strategy
- Personal Growth
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Developing Emotional Intelligence w/ Robin Hills
Dr. Robin Hills is a business psychologist and the director of Ei4Change, a company specializing in emotional intelligence training, coaching, and personal development. The company was awarded “International Impact Company of the Year” by Dotcom Magazine in 2025. With the most comprehensive and detailed courses around the topic of emotional intelligence, Robin has taught and […]
Creating Hits w/ Mark Shekter
Mark Shekter is a master at creating hits. With a rich background as a Hollywood writer-producer-composer, having worked with Steve Martin, Jim Carrey, Elton John, and many others, Mark has pioneered an entirely new system of creative thinking – Think8. This same easy-to-learn system empowers business leaders to reshape their corporate cultures for unlimited innovation […]
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 […]
Say it Right w/ Mary Nestor
Mary J. Nestor is the author of three books, an award-winning speaker, coach and consultant. In this episode, we cover her Amazon #1 bestseller, Say It Now! Say It Right! How to Handle Tough or Tender Conversations. Mentioned on the Show Learn more about Mary Nestor on her website: https://www.maryjnestor.com/ Connect with Mary Nestor on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/maryjnestor-writer-speaker-consultant Get […]
Handling Workplace Bullies w/ Jodee Blanco
Jodee Blanco is an expert on the human component of effective communication. She is the author of two New York Times bestsellers, including the seminal memoir Please Stop Laughing at Me… and the founder of INJJA (It’s NOT Just Joking Around!), the first survivor-led anti-bullying program in the country. She consults for schools and corporations […]
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 […]
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 […]
- All Episodes
- People Skills
- People Strategy
- Personal Growth
- Uncategorized
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 […]
Reducing Friction w/ Loran Nordgren
Loran Nordgren is the first repeat guest here on People Business. In this conversation, he talks about his book, The Human Element, and the framework he and his co-author have built for helping people reduce the friction that new ideas face when brought to life in the real world. Loran is one part behavioral scientist, one part […]
Building Your CORE w/ Chet Scott
Chet Scott is the founder of Built to Lead, a band of coaches that believes creating sustainable high-performance teams is not only possible but also worthy of the effort. Together they awaken, challenge, and transform a few individuals, teams, and leaders. In this conversation, he explains the basic tenets of his work and shares a foundational exercise […]