Best Talentoptimization Podcasts (2025)

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Episode 208: Purpose-Driven Construction: Building Homes and Businesses That Actually Last 29:32

6d ago29:32

29:32

If you’ve ever inherited more than a business—like a legacy, a mission, or a responsibility that feels deeply personal—this episode will resonate. For trades entrepreneur Craig Lenard, taking over Art Lenard & Sons wasn’t just about business continuity. It was about honouring a foundation while building something stronger on top. When his mother wa…

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Episode 207: Rebuilding a Business That Serves Your Life 41:52

13d ago41:52

41:52

If you've ever led a business that looked impressive on paper but felt like it was quietly eroding your well-being behind the scenes, this episode will meet you exactly where you are. Many trades entrepreneurs begin with a craft, not a company blueprint. They hustle hard, fueled by grit, only to find themselves imprisoned by the very business they …

1
Episode 206: Head, Heart, Hustle: Building Trust and Culture Across Trades Teams 27:44

20d ago27:44

27:44

In the trades, it’s not the perks that define culture—it’s how your people show up when things get hard. On job sites, in tight deadlines, across five generations—real culture is built through clarity, trust, and showing up every day. And that doesn’t happen by accident. Too often, trade businesses measure success in activity: 500 calls made, back-…

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Episode 205: Stop Yelling Into the Void: How to Actually Get Through to Your Trades Team 33:38

27d ago33:38

33:38

If your communication strategy only works for half your crew, it's not a strategy—it's a risk. And in the trades, that risk doesn’t just affect productivity—it affects safety, morale, and retention. Today’s job sites are made up of multiple generations working side by side, each with their own preferences, assumptions, and expectations around commu…

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Episode 204: How a People-First Strategy Helps Retain the Best Crew with Ray Cox 43:41

1M ago43:41

43:41

Culture, Coaching & Core Values: How Highfill Retains Talent Through Purpose Forget ping-pong tables and pay raises—this is what actual retention looks like. In this episode of The People Strategy Podcast, Traci Austin sits down with Ray Cox, Co-founder and Senior VP of Marketing at Highfill Infrastructure Engineering, for a powerful conversation o…

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Episode 203: Generational Disconnect in the Trades: Proven Strategies to Lead and Retain Across Generations 31:46

1M ago31:46

31:46

If you’re constantly hiring but still coming up short, the issue might not be the labour market. It might be something deeper—a generational disconnect that’s quietly eroding trust, productivity, and retention. In today’s trades workplaces, it’s common to see four generations working side by side. You’ve got veteran employees who’ve built the compa…

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Episode 171 Recast: Coaching New Hires: How Leaders Can Build Confidence & Competence 19:24

2M ago19:24

19:24

Most new hires don’t fail because they’re unskilled. They fail because they’re unsure—and no one showed them how to build confidence on the job. In the trades, technical ability is just the starting line. What determines long-term success is how leaders coach employees through the messy, uncertain moments of “firsts.” In this recast episode, Traci …

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Episode 177 Recast: Onboarding that Works: Setting New Trades Employees Up for Success 26:51

2M ago26:51

26:51

New hires in the trades don’t just need a paycheck—they need a reason to stay. First impressions matter, and a lack of communication between the offer letter and day one can send the wrong message. Without an intentional preboarding and onboarding process, you risk high turnover, wasted training, and disengaged workers who walk off the job before t…

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Episode 68 Recast: Mental Health & Safety in the Trades: Why It Matters More Than Ever 29:02

2M ago29:02

29:02

Ignoring mental health in the trades isn't just costly—it’s dangerous. Stress, burnout, and unspoken struggles impact retention, decision-making, and job-site safety. Yet, mental health remains an overlooked part of workplace safety programs. In this episode, Bruce Morton, a 20-year safety expert and founder of the Wisconsin Construction Wellness C…

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Episode 53 Recast: Why Mentorship is the Key to Retaining Your Best Tradespeople 14:30

2M ago14:30

14:30

How Mentorship Builds Stronger Trades Teams & Reduces Turnover Hiring is hard. Losing good people is even harder. So how do you keep top tradespeople engaged, growing, and loyal to your company? The answer isn’t just better pay—it’s mentorship. In this recast episode, Traci Austin breaks down how mentorship in the trades isn’t just a “nice-to-have”…

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Episode 121 Recast: Transforming Hiring and Retention Through A Data-Driven Approach 24:29

3M ago24:29

24:29

From Revolving Door to Retention: The Hiring Fix That Worked Most companies hire fast and regret it later. Mid-States Concrete changed their approach—and their team has never been stronger. In this episode, Sam Kloppmann, HR leader at Mid-States Concrete Industries, shares how his team cut turnover, strengthened culture, and built a hiring process …

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Episode 202: Curiosity Unlocks Leadership with Marliz Briano 23:37

3M ago23:37

23:37

Marliz Briano, Operations Manager at Cydcor, began her journey with the company six years ago as part of the compliance team. In this role, she oversaw agent onboarding and ensured ongoing regulatory compliance for representatives. As her responsibilities expanded, she transitioned into a leadership role, merging compliance with the service desk te…

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Episode 201: Growing Leaders From Within 42:33

3M ago42:33

42:33

Vera Quinn is the CEO and President of Cydcor, a global provider of outsourced sales. In her role, she’s grown revenue by more than 35% and led the company’s retail and omnichannel expansion. Vera began her career in door-to-door sales and joined Cydcor over 25 years ago, serving in various roles, including Senior Vice President, Director of Operat…

1
Episode 200: Joy as a People Strategy 26:47

3M ago26:47

26:47

Hannah McKitrick is the Founder and CEO of My Intuitive Health, which helps corporate leaders transform employee wellness through luxury culinary wellness retreats and mind-body cooking programs. She is also a Chapter President at The Dames, LLC, which empowers women managing six- and seven-figure businesses to scale through events and membership c…

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Episode 199: What Your People Really Think... About Each Other? 36:13

4M ago36:13

36:13

David Murray is the Co-founder and CEO of Confirm, a performance management system that enables CEOs to increase capital efficiency. As a product designer, he began his career as a Product Manager at Google, where he received the Google Founders Award and EMG Award for his work on Gmail. In this episode… Performance review metrics are often based o…

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Episode 198: Leadership Best Aligned to Your Behaviors 28:56

4M ago28:56

28:56

Philipp (Phil) Siegel is the Lead Product Manager at Maymont Homes, a full-service acquisition, renovation, and property management company. In his role, he drives customer-centric solutions using data-driven strategies. Before Maymont Homes, Phil held several leadership positions, including the Senior Technical Support Manager at Unanet and the Ma…

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Episode 197: Smart Tech for Team Retention and Talent Growth 47:33

4M ago47:33

47:33

Tim Sackett is the President of HRU Technical Resources, an IT and engineering contract staffing firm. With over 20 years of experience in talent acquisition and HR, he worked as a staffing director, recruiter, and HR manager at companies, including Applebees, ShopKo Stores, and Pamida. Tim has been named a Top 10 Global HR Influencer. In this epis…

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Episode 196: Mastering Change Management (Leadership Development) 31:34

5M ago31:34

31:34

Adam Gruszcynski is the IT Director at Potawatomi Casino Hotel. He previously served as the venue’s Information Technology Security Manager, where he reduced cyber risk while securing team member and guest information. As a network and security expert, Adam was also a Network Administrator at Potawatomi Casino Hotel, where he supported network reso…

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Episode 195: Great Problem Solving Comes From Critical Thinking (Leadership Development) 28:04

5M ago28:04

28:04

Adam Gruszcynski is the IT Director at Potawatomi Casino Hotel. He previously served as the venue’s Information Technology Security Manager, where he reduced cyber risk while securing team member and guest information. As a network and security expert, Adam was also a Network Administrator at Potawatomi Casino Hotel, where he supported network reso…

1
Episode 194: Conflict as a Leadership Tool (Leadership Development) 34:14

5M ago34:14

34:14

Adam Gruszcynski is the IT Director at Potawatomi Casino Hotel. He previously served as the venue’s Information Technology Security Manager, where he reduced cyber risk while securing team member and guest information. As a network and security expert, Adam was also a Network Administrator at Potawatomi Casino Hotel, where he supported network reso…

1
Episode 193: Designing & Elevating Teams (Leadership Development) 35:08

5M ago35:08

35:08

Adam Gruszcynski is the IT Director at Potawatomi Casino Hotel. He previously served as the venue’s Information Technology Security Manager, where he reduced cyber risk while securing team member and guest information. As a network and security expert, Adam was also a Network Administrator at Potawatomi Casino Hotel, where he supported network reso…

1
Episode 192: (Leadership Development) Magic of Designed Accountability 25:36

6M ago25:36

25:36

Adam Gruszcynski is the IT Director at Potawatomi Casino Hotel. He previously served as the venue’s Information Technology Security Manager, where he reduced cyber risk while securing team member and guest information. As a network and security expert, Adam was also a Network Administrator at Potawatomi Casino Hotel, where he supported network reso…

1
Episode 191: (Leadership Development) 4 Levers of Employee Engagement 40:06

6M ago40:06

40:06

Adam Gruszcynski is the IT Director at Potawatomi Casino Hotel. He previously served as the venue’s Information Technology Security Manager, where he reduced cyber risk while securing team member and guest information. As a network and security expert, Adam was also a Network Administrator at Potawatomi Casino Hotel, where he supported network reso…

1
Episode 190: (Leadership Development) Leadership Coaching That Impacts 25:37

6M ago25:37

25:37

Adam Gruszcynski is the IT Director at Potawatomi Casino Hotel. He previously served as the venue’s Information Technology Security Manager, where he reduced cyber risk while securing team member and guest information. As a network and security expert, Adam was also a Network Administrator at Potawatomi Casino Hotel, where he supported network reso…

1
Episode 189: (Leadership Development) Leadership Foundation in Action 28:50

6M ago28:50

28:50

Adam Gruszcynski is the IT Director at Potawatomi Casino Hotel. He previously served as the venue’s Information Technology Security Manager, where he reduced cyber risk while securing team member and guest information. As a network and security expert, Adam was also a Network Administrator at Potawatomi Casino Hotel, where he supported network reso…

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Episode 188: Exit Strategy as a People Strategy 29:25

6M ago29:25

29:25

Ab DeWeese is the Founder and Non-executive Chairman of Good Automation, a data science and test automation company he exited when he was 37. He is also the Founder of the DeWeese Group, a private advisory practice designed for medium-sized and Fortune 500 companies. As a serial entrepreneur, polymath, and investor, Ab has become a founder, shareho…

1
Episode 187: Navigating Organizational Change Management 25:57

7M ago25:57

25:57

Katie Spahnie is the VP of HR Operations at Westfield Bank, where she focuses on employee engagement programs, total reward strategies, risk management, and HR technology. As an executive-level HR professional, she has developed and executed organizational strategies for human resources services, including recruitment and retention, culture and eng…

1
Episode 186: Change Management: Painful or Purposeful 25:51

7M ago25:51

25:51

John Bernatovicz is the Founder of Willory, which provides payroll and HR staffing and consulting support. As a serial entrepreneur, he has owned six companies, including Centsible Water, a water vending company with conveniently located, self-service water machines. John is a keynote speaker delivering national speaking engagements and the author …

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Episode 185: Unlocking Productivity and Well-Being With the Four-Day Workweek 31:46

7M ago31:46

31:46

Andrew Barnes is the Co-founder of 4 Day Week Global, the world’s leading organization changing the future of work by implementing a four-day workweek initiative. As a serial entrepreneur, he has promoted market-changing innovation and industry digitization by leading and transforming companies in the United Kingdom, Australia, and New Zealand. And…

1
Episode 184: Empowerment and Accountability: The Growth Equation 30:36

8M ago30:36

30:36

Matt Sunshine is the Managing Partner and CEO of The Center for Sales Strategy, a sales performance consulting company helping B2B organizations attract, retain, and develop the highest performing salespeople. Matt developed and launched the company’s inbound marketing division, LeadG2, which helps businesses establish thought leadership and lower …

1
Episode 183: (Team Retention) Mastering the Performance Review 33:18

8M ago33:18

33:18

Traci Austin is the Owner and Chief Talent Officer at Elevated Talent Consulting, a certified woman-owned HR firm. As an HR professional and chief strategy consultant, she has over two decades of experience creating and building HR departments for small businesses. Traci specializes in employee development, consulting, and coaching and creates fulf…

1
Episode 182: (Team Retention) The Trust Equation: Building Better Engagement Through Gratitude 29:31

8M ago29:31

29:31

Traci Austin is the Owner and Chief Talent Officer at Elevated Talent Consulting, a certified woman-owned HR firm. As an HR professional and chief strategy consultant, she has over two decades of experience creating and building HR departments for small businesses. Traci specializes in employee development, consulting, and coaching and creates fulf…

1
Episode 181: Building Connection and Community in Virtual Teams 23:45

8M ago23:45

23:45

Jenna Spencer is the Founder and CEO of AssistPro®, a virtual assistant matching and delegation coaching service. Since founding the company, she has helped hundreds of clients delegate and develop their executive assistants into leaders. Under Jenna’s leadership, AssistPro® has grown more than 50% each year since its founding, leading her to launc…

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Episode 180: (Team Retention) Crafting Talent Pathway Plans That Work 35:03

9M ago35:03

35:03

Traci Austin is the Owner and Chief Talent Officer at Elevated Talent Consulting, a certified woman-owned HR firm. As an HR professional and chief strategy consultant, she has over two decades of experience creating and building HR departments for small businesses. Traci specializes in employee development, consulting, and coaching and creates fulf…

1
Episode 179: (Team Retention) The WHY Factor: How Intentional Goals Drive Success 33:47

9M ago33:47

33:47

Traci Austin is the Owner and Chief Talent Officer at Elevated Talent Consulting, a certified woman-owned HR firm. As an HR professional and chief strategy consultant, she has over two decades of experience creating and building HR departments for small businesses. Traci specializes in employee development, consulting, and coaching and creates fulf…

1
Episode 178: (Team Retention) The Power of Trust: Key Ingredients for Effective Teamwork 26:23

9M ago26:23

26:23

Traci Austin is the Owner and Chief Talent Officer at Elevated Talent Consulting, a certified woman-owned HR firm. As an HR professional and chief strategy consultant, she has over two decades of experience creating and building HR departments for small businesses. Traci specializes in employee development, consulting, and coaching and creates fulf…

1
Episode 177: (Team Retention) Onboarding Your New Employee To Optimize Team Performance 28:18

10M ago28:18

28:18

Traci Austin is the Owner and Chief Talent Officer at Elevated Talent Consulting, a certified woman-owned HR firm. As an HR professional and chief strategy consultant, she has over two decades of experience creating and building HR departments for small businesses. Traci specializes in employee development, consulting, and coaching and creates fulf…

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Episode 176: Brian Confer on Building Resiliency in Times of Change Management 27:06

10M ago27:06

27:06

Brian Confer is the Co-founder and Chief Growth Officer at Capturely, which offers professional headshots tailored to corporate clients. With experience in the B2B, professional services, and technology sectors, he helps founders and their companies scale and establish market dominance. Brian is also a TEDx speaker and holds an executive MBA. In th…

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Episode 175: (Team Retention) The Evolution of Job Structures: Flexibility and Innovation 32:00

10M ago32:00

32:00

Jennifer Loper is the President of C3, a family and children brand marketing and design agency. As a marketing and communications leader, she has over 30 years of experience working with corporate brands in the restaurant, hospitality, and retail industries. Jennifer is also a board member of the Unleashed Brands Foundation, a charitable organizati…

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Episode 174: (Team Retention) Crafting a Magnetic Employee Value Proposition 35:36

11M ago35:36

35:36

Traci Austin is the Owner and Chief Talent Officer at Elevated Talent Consulting, a certified woman-owned HR firm. As an HR professional and chief strategy consultant, she has over two decades of experience creating and building HR departments for small businesses. Traci specializes in employee development, consulting, and coaching and creates fulf…

1
Episode 173: Strategic Hiring: Unlocking Organizational Growth 26:13

11M ago26:13

26:13

Traci Austin is the Owner and Chief Talent Officer at Elevated Talent Consulting, a certified woman-owned HR firm. As an HR professional and chief strategy consultant, she has over two decades of experience creating and building HR departments for small businesses. Traci specializes in employee development, consulting, and coaching and creates fulf…

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Episode 172: Impact of Appreciation at Work with Dr. Paul White 33:45

11M ago33:45

33:45

Dr. Paul White is a psychologist, speaker, consultant, and coauthor of The Five Languages of Appreciation in the Workplace. For over 20 years, he has assisted organizations in creating positive work environments and communicating authentic appreciation. Dr. White has spoken about improving work-based relationships in North America, Europe, Central …

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Ep 171: Gaining Confidence and Competence in First Times 19:35

12M ago19:35

19:35

From onboarding new hires to building a culture of accountability, Traci Austin delves into the intricacies of leadership in this special solo episode of the People Strategy Podcast. Traci, the Chief Strategy Officer at Elevated Talent Consulting, shares her top three insights from her conversation with Adam Gruszcynski from Potawatomi Bingo and Ca…

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Ep 170: People Strategy Insights Into Action with Adam Gruszcynski 29:50

12M ago29:50

29:50

From IT director to strategic innovator, Adam Gruszcynski the IT Director at Potawatomi Casino Hotel, has masterfully reinvented the onboarding process and organizational culture within his team. Adam joins host Traci Austin, as he shares his transformative journey in implementing an Employee Value Proposition (EVP) strategy that significantly attr…

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Ep 169: Impact of Team Coaching with Tom Mahoney 31:57

12M ago31:57

31:57

From the classroom to the superintendent's office, Dr. Tom Mahoney has charted a transformative journey through the educational landscape, drawing on deep personal and professional experiences. Currently steering the Oregon School District towards innovative educational practices, Tom joins host Traci Austin on the People Strategy Podcast to explor…

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Ep 168: Team Coaching Outcomes to Transform Organizational Culture with Brad Zimmerman and Tom Willis 31:59

1y ago31:59

31:59

From personal development workshops to influential education leaders, Brad Zimmerman and Tom Willis have carved impactful paths in transforming organizational culture especially within school districts. On the People Strategy Podcast with host Traci Austin, they share vital insights into the art of coaching, emphasizing the significance of listenin…

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Ep 167: Cultivating a Culture of Inclusiveness with CEO Bryan Wolff 26:41

1y ago26:41

26:41

From investing to innovating in employee engagement, Bryan Wolff has mastered the art of cultivating inclusive workplaces where every voice is heard. As the President of AllVoices, an employee relations platform, Bryan joins Traci Austin on The People Strategy Podcast to reveal the significance of fostering environments where employees feel safe an…

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Ep 166: Unleashing Potential with Technology Strategies with Ben Mones 34:42

1y ago34:42

34:42

Step into the world of innovation as we chat with Ben Mones, the visionary CEO and founder of Fama. In this electrifying episode, Ben and host Traci Austin explore the dynamic fusion of technology and human potential in the workplace. Ben captivates us with his profound insights, revealing how strategic use of technology can amplify professional ef…

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Ep 165: Creating a Psychologically Safe Workplace with Jessica Bensch 31:03

1y ago31:03

31:03

Jessica Bensch is a renowned advocate for workplace culture transformation and is currently building a not-for-profit global movement (Vanguard Voices) on the topic of psychological safety. In this episode, Jessica and host Traci Austin discuss psychological safety and open dialogue. Jessica artfully underscores the necessity for a holistic approac…

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Ep 164: Intentionally Using AI in Communication to Build Employee Trust with Tarek Kamil 29:14

1y ago29:14

29:14

Tarek Kamil, CEO and Founder of an internal communication software, Cerkl, is passionate about using AI and big data to transform how organizations communicate, engage, and understand their audiences. In this episode, Tarek draws parallels between Netflix's personalized content delivery and the need for similarly tailored communication in the workp…

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Talentoptimization Podcasts

Podcasts Worth a Listen