#153 - Cole Napper - Ask Me Anything AMA Episode with Special Guest Host Chayce Kowalski

Check out this episode of the #1 people analytics podcast with special guest & host, Cole Napper, with an AMA Episode along with guest host, Chayce Kowalski!

In this ask-me-anything style session, Cole and Chayce dive into audience-driven questions covering the realities of modern people analytics, the evolution of careers in the field, and how practitioners should think about AI, leadership, and delivering impact across the business. Cole kicks things off by sharing why this episode format matters and how the show’s cadence has shifted to maintain passion and energy for the work. He also reveals why some stories about HR, employers, and internal analytics wins can’t always make it onto the podcast—sometimes NDAs and job security come first. From there, Chayce takes over and asks fan-submitted questions from LinkedIn. Cole discusses the unpredictable relationship between data effort and business impact—sometimes a napkin sketch drives more progress than months of analysis. He describes this as a powerful lesson for every early-career analyst. The conversation moves through themes around career growth, influence, and surviving the biggest hurdle in analytics work: the ongoing struggle to build data fluency in HR teams. Cole shares candid insights about being “over” the same old barriers to business adoption and why HR’s evolution is overdue.

Listeners also get personal glimpses into Cole’s shift from studying emotions to focusing more on labor economics and the broader world of talent intelligence, workforce planning, and behavioral science—all still rooted in understanding people, but through a fresh lens. One highlight: Cole reveals he is building a People Analytics Data Academy, designed around three pillars—strategy, leadership, and analytics—to better prepare both HR professionals and data practitioners to thrive in a generative-AI world. Cole also opens up about the realities behind running a successful podcast: ghosting from potential guests, selecting only truly compelling voices, and the sponsorship dynamics that determine who can join the show—even when many vendor-side practitioners have fascinating stories to tell. Throughout, the AMA hits both fun and meaningful territory—from zombie-apocalypse hypotheticals about emotional vulnerability to the deep purpose-finding journey of someone who has spent nearly two decades helping organizations make smarter people decisions. If you enjoy honest conversations about the real future of people analytics, AI in HR, and building a career that truly influences the business—this one’s for you. If you like this episode, you’d also love exploring prior episodes—visit colenapper.com for the full archive and show links.