
Punk Rock HR
Welcome to the Punk Rock HR Podcast, hosted by the influential and unconventional Laurie Ruettimann. This podcast breaks away from the traditional constraints of the HR world to bring you candid and compelling conversations with some of the most disruptive and innovative minds in the business. Each episode, Laurie dives deep into critical topics surrounding the real world of work, exploring the modern workplace's nuances, and challenging the status quo of HR.Guests range from renowned thought leaders, authors, and entrepreneurs to HR professionals and individuals who have reshaped the way we approach work and organizational culture. Punk Rock HR is not your usual HR talk. It’s a blend of insight, wit, and irreverence, aiming to bring a fresh, unfiltered perspective to the challenges and opportunities facing today’s workforce.Whether you’re an HR professional looking to revamp your approach, a leader trying to understand the people side of the business better, or just someone interested in the dynamics of the modern workplace, this podcast is your ticket to engaging discussions and actionable insights. Expect energizing conversations, guests with big ideas, and a punk rock twist, with episodes released every Monday.Follow the Punk Rock HR Podcast to keep your finger on the pulse of work, leadership, and human resources. Your journey towards a more progressive and enlightened workspace starts here!
Latest episodes

Aug 1, 2022 • 29min
#217: Overcoming the Art of Avoidance With Sarah Noll Wilson
My guest for this episode is author, executive coach and leadership development consultant Sarah Noll Wilson. Sarah and I are talking about the art of avoidance when it comes to conflict and workplace relationships, plus late-stage capitalism and burning it all down. We also talk about getting to the root causes of conflict and the organization’s responsibility in all of this.Punk Rock HR is proudly underwritten by The Starr Conspiracy. The Starr Conspiracy is a B2B marketing agency for innovative brands creating the future of workplace solutions. For more information, head over to thestarrconspiracy.com.To read the full show notes for this episode, visit: https://laurieruettimann.com/overcoming-the-art-of-avoidance

Jul 25, 2022 • 20min
#216: Who Owns Work? With Kristin Reed
In this episode, my guest is Kristin Reed. Kristin is the senior consultant at Veldhoen + Company, where she co-creates strategies for a better world of work for everyone through activity-based work.Kristin and I sat down to discuss a strategy of work called activity-based working, or ABW, and who owns how, when and where work gets done.Punk Rock HR is proudly underwritten by The Starr Conspiracy. The Starr Conspiracy is a B2B marketing agency for innovative brands creating the future of workplace solutions. For more information, head over to thestarrconspiracy.com.To read the full show notes for this episode, visit:https://laurieruettimann.com/activity-based-work

Jul 20, 2022 • 15min
Bonus: Introducing Amplify Academy With Lars Schmidt
In this bonus episode of Punk Rock HR, my guest is my good friend, bestselling author and founder of Amplify, Lars Schmidt. Lars is here to celebrate the launch of his new platform, Amplify Academy. Learn more Lars’ plans for the platform and how it will help HR and people operators create modern and progressive people practices.Punk Rock HR is proudly underwritten by The Starr Conspiracy. The Starr Conspiracy is a B2B marketing agency for innovative brands creating the future of workplace solutions. For more information, head over to thestarrconspiracy.com.To read the full show notes for this episode, visit:https://laurieruettimann.com/introducing-amplify-academy

Jul 18, 2022 • 20min
#215: Using Neural Networks to Strengthen Organizations With Nir Leibovich
In this episode of Punk Rock HR, my guest is Nir Leibovich. He is the co-founder and CEO of GoCo.io, a company that offers award-winning modern software for small to medium-sized businesses to manage their people.Nir and I talk about HR in small and medium-sized companies, HR’s growing leadership role and the importance of neural networks for strengthening organizations.Punk Rock HR is proudly underwritten by The Starr Conspiracy. The Starr Conspiracy is a B2B marketing agency for innovative brands creating the future of workplace solutions. For more information, head over to thestarrconspiracy.com.To read the full show notes for this episode, visit: https://laurieruettimann.com/neural-networks-to-strengthen-organizations

Jul 11, 2022 • 28min
#214: Fixing Collaboration in a Remote Work Culture With Gregory Ng
In this episode of Punk Rock HR, my guest is Gregory Ng, a longtime friend and the CEO of Brooks Bell, a digital agency based in the Triangle region of North Carolina. In this conversation, Greg and I discuss everything about the pandemic and its impact on people, building a people-first company and how to think differently about work-from-home culture.Punk Rock HR is proudly underwritten by The Starr Conspiracy. The Starr Conspiracy is a B2B marketing agency for innovative brands creating the future of workplace solutions. For more information, head over to thestarrconspiracy.com.To read the full show notes for this episode, visit: https://laurieruettimann.com/fixing-collaboration-in-remote-work-culture

Jul 6, 2022 • 27min
Bonus: Do Hard Things With Steve Magness
Welcome back! In this bonus episode of Punk Rock HR, my guest is world-renowned expert on health and human performance Steve Magness.Steve and I discuss his experience as a running and performance coach and how he uses that to help executives, entrepreneurs and more level up their performance throughout life. We also get to hear about his new book, “Do Hard Things: Why We Get Resilience Wrong and the Surprising Science of Real Toughness.”Punk Rock HR is proudly underwritten by The Starr Conspiracy. The Starr Conspiracy is a B2B marketing agency for innovative brands creating the future of workplace solutions. For more information, head over to thestarrconspiracy.com.To read the full show notes for this episode, visit:https://laurieruettimann.com/do-hard-things

Jul 4, 2022 • 21min
#213: The Gathering Effect With Lindsey Caplan
In this episode, I spoke with Lindsey Caplan, founder and lead consultant of The Gathering Effect. Through her company, Lindsey partners with businesses, executives, chiefs of staff, marketing leaders, and more to define, diagnose and adjust their gatherings to achieve the desired effect. With diverse and exciting experience, Lindsey shares what you need to know to improve your gatherings.Punk Rock HR is proudly underwritten by The Starr Conspiracy. The Starr Conspiracy is a B2B marketing agency for innovative brands creating the future of workplace solutions. For more information, head over to thestarrconspiracy.com.To read the full show notes for this episode, visit:https://laurieruettimann.com/the-gathering-effect

Jun 27, 2022 • 25min
#212: Transform Your Career Through Virtual Work Experience Programs with Thomas Brunskill
In this episode, my guest today is Thomas Brunskill, co-founder and CEO of the open-access learning platform for professionals. Tune in as Thomas and I talk about what Forage is doing to expand access to virtual work experience programs, how they differ from internships or traditional learning platforms, and, most importantly, how people interested in new careers can use Forage to change their lives.Punk Rock HR is proudly underwritten by The Starr Conspiracy. The Starr Conspiracy is a B2B marketing agency for innovative brands creating the future of workplace solutions. For more information, head over to thestarrconspiracy.com.To read the full show notes for this episode, visit:https://laurieruettimann.com/virtual-work-experience-programs

Jun 23, 2022 • 25min
Bonus: Hiring, Retention and the Importance of Employee Allyship With Donald Knight II
Welcome to the bonus episode of Punk Rock HR. I’m sitting down with Donald Knight II, chief people officer of Greenhouse Software. You may know Greenhouse Software for its focus on recruitment, onboarding, diversity, inclusion, equity and belonging. Donald is a new addition to the Greenhouse team.In our conversation, we discussed what it was like getting hired during the pandemic, the importance of including the company’s mission in the hiring process and why retention’s biggest issue is burnout. We also discuss what’s next in HR and why we need employee allyship.Punk Rock HR is proudly underwritten by The Starr Conspiracy. The Starr Conspiracy is a B2B marketing agency for innovative brands creating the future of workplace solutions. For more information, head over to thestarrconspiracy.com.To read the full show notes for this episode, visit:https://laurieruettimann.com/hiring-retention-and-the-importance-of-employee-allyship

Jun 20, 2022 • 26min
#211: Changing the Lives of Adult Learners With Sean Flynn
My guest in this episode is Sean Flynn, chief customer officer at InStride, which is a business that partners with businesses to create life-changing workforce education programs through a leading academic network.In this conversation, Sean and I talk about how he is changing the lives of adult learners, what he has learned from his experiences and his growth throughout his career.Punk Rock HR is proudly underwritten by The Starr Conspiracy. The Starr Conspiracy is a B2B marketing agency for innovative brands creating the future of workplace solutions. For more information, head over to thestarrconspiracy.com.To read the full show notes for this episode, visit: https://laurieruettimann.com/changing-the-lives-of-adult-learners
Remember Everything You Learn from Podcasts
Save insights instantly, chat with episodes, and build lasting knowledge - all powered by AI.