HR Superstars

Secrets can be heavy, especially when you’re carrying others’ secrets as well as your own. The unwritten job description of a people leader is the need to listen and safeguard everyone’s worries and struggles, but it can be a really lonely place. Jen Paxton is very familiar with the feeling. As a people leader, entrepreneur, and mother of two, she’s had to find ways to cope and stay motivated. In this episode she shares how secrets can impact a person’s mental health and also shares practical ways to dig yourself out of that isolation. For the entire interview, follow HR Superstars on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or Stitcher. Or tune in on our website. Original podcast track produced by Entheo. Want to connect with thousands of other strategic HR leaders like you, join the HR Superstars Community! Listening on a desktop & can’t see the links? Just search for HR Superstars in your favorite podcast player.*

What responsibility do leaders have in the mental health of their employees? Opinions vary, but one thing is certain—authenticity and vulnerability play an important role. Holly May is a seasoned HR professional with a background in total rewards and business partnering in diversity, equity, and inclusion. She has held CHRO roles at Starbucks, Abercrombie and Fitch, and now at Walgreens Boots Alliance, where she has championed the importance of mental health strategies in the workplace. In her career, Holly discovered the importance of embracing the whole human after a difficult experience herself. Through her struggle, she realized the power of vulnerability and how it can transform relationships and improve performance. Now she embraces balance and prioritizes being a “whole human” at work. For the entire interview, follow HR Superstars on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or Stitcher. Or tune in on our website. Original podcast track produced by Entheo. Want to connect with thousands of other strategic HR leaders like you, join the HR Superstars Community! Listening on a desktop & can’t see the links? Just search for HR Superstars in your favorite podcast player.*

Culture isn’t magic. When you analyze organizations with great cultures, they all have similar  structures to achieve success. Daniel Coyle is a renowned author and performance expert who has studied the behavior of successful groups for over a decade. His book, The Culture Code, explores the three pillars of safety, vulnerability, and direction that all successful teams use to be more than the sum of their parts. Along the way, you’ll learn how culture is more like a living set of relationships moving together toward a goal rather than something that’s accidentally obtained. For the entire interview, follow HR Superstars on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or Stitcher. Or tune in on our website. Original podcast track produced by Entheo. Want to connect with thousands of other strategic HR leaders like you, join the HR Superstars Community! Listening on a desktop & can’t see the links? Just search for HR Superstars in your favorite podcast player.*

How do you leave a legacy that outlasts your tenure? There’s no magic formula, but Shane has certainly left his mark on 15Five in his decade with the company. From “Question Fridays” to offering ketamine-assisted therapy as a benefit to employees, he’s built a culture that fosters not only the growth of the organization but also of our people themselves. As Shane transitions out of his role as Chief People Officer, we are excited to welcome Adam Weber as the new host of HR Superstars. Adam is an author, speaker, former Chief People Officer, and currently hosts the popular HR Superstars Community. So he’s kind of the perfect person for the role. In his debut episode, he talks with Shane about legacy, building a culture that fosters growth, and unlocking human potential. Join us as we discuss: [01:52] Transforming what it means to be an employee [10:09] Going beyond professional and social identities [16:58] Being the vehicle for the realization of people's dreams [31:39] Leaving a legacy that outlasts your tenure For the entire interview, follow HR Superstars on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or Stitcher. Or tune in on our website. Original podcast track produced by Entheo. Want to connect with thousands of other strategic HR leaders like you, join the HR Superstars Community! Listening on a desktop & can’t see the links? Just search for HR Superstars in your favorite podcast player.*

In recent years, talk therapy has become a more normalized benefit for many employees. But what about psychedelic-assisted therapy? Mindbloom is a mental health treatment company that provides at-home Ketamine therapy with a mission to make the treatment more approachable and affordable. In this episode, Kristin Arden, lead clinician, shares how Mindbloom is reducing barriers to accessing care and debunking the stigmas around psychedelics. Not only does she share the healing powers of Ketamine therapy, but she also discusses the ways it can transform teams and organizations. Join us as we discuss: [02:12] How ketamine therapy repairs damage from chronic stress [12:06] The impact of mental health on the ability to function at work [20:40] Benefits of an at-home treatment model [28:53] Advice for leaders interested in ketamine therapy In November of 2022, 15Five became the first company to offer Ketamine-assisted therapy as an employee benefit. For the entire interview, follow HR Superstars on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or Stitcher. Or tune in on our website. Original podcast track produced by Entheo. Want to connect with thousands of other strategic HR leaders like you, join the HR Superstars Community! Listening on a desktop & can’t see the links? Just search for HR Superstars in your favorite podcast player.*

Tech companies are in a big transition right now. They’re moving from a “growth at all costs” mentality to a focus on profitability. Part of this shift means HR teams need to think differently about headcount. We can’t hire our problems away. Instead, we need to think about new forms of leverage. How do you lead your teams to be thinking in a new way despite the whiplash speed of change? Jim Bartolomea joins the show to share the steps he’s taking to shift his focus to profitability as a people leader at ClickUp. Join us as we discuss: [04:30] The role of HR in company culture [06:45] Strategically managing headcount [10:30] Investing in talent development [15:00] Balancing high performance and high care [18:30] Why benefits and flexibility attract and retain talent [22:45] Holding a compassionate perspective even in a tight market For the entire interview, follow HR Superstars on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or Stitcher. Or tune in on our website. Original podcast track produced by Entheo. Want to connect with thousands of other strategic HR leaders like you, join the HR Superstars Community! Listening on a desktop & can’t see the links? Just search for HR Superstars in your favorite podcast player.* The guest audio in this recording is slightly muffled and does not reflect how the guest sounds normally. 

What’s the secret to venture capital (VC) success? People. Brianna Rizzo, Talent Partner at VMG Partners, joins the show to share the power of the people who fuel startups. For Brianna, it all comes down to building rapport before it’s needed, developing a strong talent network, and routing the right people to the right places. This requires getting curious, investing in relationships, and strategically balancing priorities. When done well, this talent strategy supercharges new companies and enables them to scale successfully. Listen to hear Brianna correct misconceptions about talent in VC ecosystems, reveal the secret to building a strong startup team, and share how to fuel your success with a talent strategy. Join us as we discuss: [03:30] The critical role of talent partners in VC [09:45] What founders don’t understand about talent [14:30] Balancing priorities [17:00] Building trust with entrepreneurs [22:00] Why diverse teams create new opportunities [25:00] Collecting a library of resources [28:00] Pursuing a career as a talent partner [33:00] The power of coaching [43:00] How to learn more about VC talent partners For the entire interview, follow HR Superstars on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or Stitcher. Or tune in on our website. Original podcast track produced by Entheo. Want to connect with thousands of other strategic HR leaders like you, join the HR Superstars Community! Listening on a desktop & can’t see the links? Just search for HR Superstars in your favorite podcast player.*

On this show you get to hear from truly stellar people leaders and how they think about running extraordinary companies and cultures. While Shane occasionally shares some of his ideas alongside them, we thought we’d switch things up a bit and give you a glimpse into how he thinks about the world of progressive HR, people operations, and doing business a little differently than it's ever been done before. In this episode, Shane shares gratitude for his eclectic career journey. You’ll learn: How workplaces are dojos for our own highest potential Why no single role will define your career Why work is never just the means to an end

If you’ve spent time with kids, you know “because I said so,” is rarely a satisfactory answer. The same is true with our teams. We’re independent people who question top-down mandates. We want to understand the logic behind a request. This simple truth has been a guiding principle for Barb Bidan, Chief People Officer at Crunchyroll. When she jumped into her role, she knew she wanted to lead with curiosity and vulnerability. She’s chosen to admit what she doesn’t know, stand firm on her convictions, and honor the needs of her people. Listen to hear how she’s applied her curious approach to creating a return to work plan, bringing people together after acquisitions, and designing leadership development curriculum. Join us as we discuss: [03:30] Co-creating a healthy hybrid work strategy [09:00] Communicating a clear “why” [12:00] Designing for both flexibility and certainty [20:00] Intentionally bringing people together [24:30] Fostering a “first team” mentality [31:30] Creating a leadership development curriculum [38:15] Learning from variety For the entire interview, follow HR Superstars on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or Stitcher. Or tune in on our website. Original podcast track produced by Entheo. Want to connect with thousands of other strategic HR leaders like you, join the HR Superstars Community! Listening on a desktop & can’t see the links? Just search for HR Superstars in your favorite podcast player.*

Rapid growth can kill company culture and employee experience. But it doesn’t have to be that way. Kirsti Grant, VP of People Experience at Auror, decided to intentionally make her team better with scale. It’s taken hard work, but it’s absolutely paid off. Kirsti joins the show to share the guiding principles that have allowed her team to create a cohesive and high-performing culture they love. She gives practical advice about ensuring everyone has the right context when decisions are made, investing in your people, and helping people love their jobs. Join us as we discuss: [02:00] Developing a consistent employee experience [11:00] Managing the grief of layoffs [18:00] Making hard work generative rather than destructive [22:30] Creating a cohesive culture during growth [28:00] Investing in leadership development [36:00] Getting a little bit better every day [39:00] Shane’s fiction recommendations [45:00] Helping people love their jobs For the entire interview, follow HR Superstars on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or Stitcher. Or tune in on our website. Original podcast track produced by Entheo. Want to connect with thousands of other strategic HR leaders like you, join the HR Superstars Community! Interested in Leadership Development for your managers? Check out Transform Training & Coaching. Listening on a desktop & can’t see the links? Just search for HR Superstars in your favorite podcast player.*