We’re proud to be headquartered in Newark, New Jersey and work closely with groups that seek to improve the state of New Jersey. So, for this episode, we figured why not give our home state a shoutout! Jose Lozano is the President and CEO of Choose New Jersey, a non-profit economic development organization dedicated to providing resources to businesses interested in making New Jersey their home. Over the past ten years, Choose New Jersey has helped hundreds of companies secure thousands of jobs for New Jersians and amassed $6.2 Billion in capital investments. Prior to joining Choose New Jersey, Jose was the Vice President of Corporate Services for Hackensack Meridian Health, Executive Director for then Governor-elect Phil Murphy's transition team, and even served as the Deputy Chief of Staff for the Environmental Protection Agency under the Obama Administration. At the core of the workforce is people and jobs go to where the people are. Jose sits in a unique position where he is able to see the unique needs of both the people of New Jersey looking for high quality jobs and companies that need talented people to fill those open jobs. As companies around the world still struggle to get back to fully staffed operations, it’s more important than ever for managers to understand the needs of their workers and what their company means to the local communities they set roots in...so with that, let’s bring it in!

Coaching an ever-changing workforce is difficult enough and the pandemic forcing us apart has only made it more challenging. With Gen Z and Millennials now making up the majority of the workforce, managing and coaching skills many Gen X and Boomers grew up used to, simply no longer work, especially in a post-pandemic world. And, Coach Brian Polian has something to say about this. As the Special Teams Coordinator for LSU and Fmr. Associate Head Coach and Special Teams Coordinator at Notre Dame Football, Coach Polian is an expert at creating star teams, by holding them to challenging standards, while also meeting their individual needs. His coaching style earned him a position as graduate assistant for Nick Saban at Michigan State in 1997, then two seasons as a graduate assistant at Baylor, a nominee for the American Football Coaches Association (AFCA) Assistant Coach of the Year in 2008, as well as a position as a four-year letterwinner at linebacker for John Carroll from 1993-96. Coach Polian’s book, “Coaching and Teaching Gen Z: Honor the Relationships,” is all about relationships and how relationships lead to winning. Strong relationships are more crucial than ever before in today’s workforce, this isn’t an episode you want to miss so...let’s bring it in!

The news is filled with talk on what the public and private sector should be doing to help overcome the challenges facing our future workforce, but what about the nonprofit sector? Or rather, the social sector, as Susan Dreyfus considers this the 1 of 3 critical pillars of our workforce economy. Susan was the former President and CEO of the National Health and Policy Forum from 2012-2021. There, she led the Forum to educate policy makers on decisions that would impact the national healthcare system. Before her time at the Forum, in 1996 she was appointed Wisconsin's first-ever Administrator of the Division of Children and Family Services, and in 2009 she was appointed Secretary for the Washington State Department of Social and Health Services. Her time working along the lines of the public and private sector put Susan in a unique position to champion the social sector, and in our conversation, she shared some of her core beliefs and strategies to protect and improve every area of work. Especially today when COVID, policy gridlock, stagnant wages, rising costs, supply shortages, technological divides, and social unrest puts pressure on every worker, the experience and lessons from Susan are invaluable...so with that, let’s bring it in!

You can learn anything through a game. Fact. If you still need some convincing, then this episode is just for you! Jamie Madigan has spent the last decade of his life studying how video games hold the secret to creating a motivated, positive, and engaged workplace. He’s consulted for over a dozen high-profile enterprises over the years, such as Anheuser-Busch, APTMetrics, and Sempra Energy. Jamie has compiled much of his research and experience into his blog and podcast Psychology of Gamers, where he provides free, research-backed, scholarly articles and interviews to popularize the study and use of gaming psychology. Jamie has also written numerous books such as Getting Gamers: The Psychology of Videogames and the People Who Play Them, Video Games and Well-Being: Press Start, and The Engagement Economy: Why Your Workplace Should Look More Like a Videogame. Jamie is one of the most renowned experts in the field of psychology and if you’ve had any doubts about the power of games, this episode is a must listen. So...let’s bring it in!

“Do you really want to solve the problem or complain about it and use it as a shield?” This is the question Andy Stern has for employers, especially as the world still grapples with the impacts of COVID and a changing workforce. Andy Stern is the former President of the Service Employees International Union (SEIU) and now serves as its President Emeritus. He has been a senior fellow at Georgetown University, Columbia University, and is now a Senior Fellow at the Economic Security Project. Under his leadership SEIU became both the fastest growing union in the world, growing 1,200,000 members and the largest political action committee (PAC) in the United States. As SEIU President, Stern was a constant figure in the news. He was on the covers of The New York Times Magazine, Fortune, and BusinessWeek, featured on CBS 60 Minutes, on Fox as the Power Player of the Week, CNN, and the Washington Post, and holds the unique record of having been the person to most visit Obama’s Oval Office, at a whopping 54 visitations. He’s an author of numerous books, including Raising The Floor documenting his five year journey in investigating the impact of technology and the future of work. This episode deals with a huge issue that faces millions of American’s and is one you’re definitely going to want to pay attention to. So let’s bring it in!

Skills gaps are real...right?  In a ‘tight’ labor market, where we’re hearing employers complain left and right that they can’t find good workers for their companies, author, Fulbright scholar, and Professor of Human Resources at the Wharton School at UPenn, Peter Cappelli, has some other things to say... Peter Cappelli was the Co-Director of the National Centre on the Educational Quality of Workforce with Robert Zemsky for the U.S. Department of Education during the Bush and Clinton Administrations. He was ranked 5th in HR Magazine's Top 20 Most Influential International Thinkers in HR, was named in the 25 Most Important People Working in Human Capital by Vault Rankings, so it’s safe to say he knows what he’s talking about. With the topic of finding workers still a hot issue, this is one podcast you’re definitely going to want to listen to. So...let’s bring it in!

“Coaching matters. It's an on-going thing.” Brendan Long is the Vice President of Sales for "The World's Most Famous Arena," Madison Square Garden, and leads the charge in coaching and developing young salespeople who represent some of the most iconic franchises in New York City. Home to The New York Knicks and The New York Rangers, but MSG Entertainment also represents Radio City Hall, Beacon Theater, The Hulu Theater, and dozens more historic locations. Being based almost entirely around massive live events, COVID was a massive blow to MSG. Brendan doubled down on his team and made sure everyone was connected and engaged even while working remotely and continued to coach and lead his team through every challenge. With things slowly reopening and people itching for the thrill of live sports more than ever, Brendan and the team at MSG are ready to hit the ground running... Let’s bring it in!

Why are we all so bad at learning? Well, maybe it’s because we aren’t being taught right. According to Patrice Bain, author of Powerful Teaching: Unleash the Science of Learning, teaching and learning are like muscles, they need to be exercised correctly. A Fulbright scholar, adjunct professor at numerous universities, national educational advisor, with over 25 years of experience teaching K-12, Patrice has dedicated herself to teaching others about the process of learning. This episode we dive deep into the need for struggle when it comes to learning, how so many cognomyths became so accepted by society, and what parents, educators, and talent leaders should be doing to better teach the people in their lives. This is definitely an episode you don’t want to miss, so let’s bring it in!

With COVID forcing teams to distance themselves and create a divide between those who had the privilege to work remotely and those who didn’t, having a uniting culture in a company was more important than ever. As things begin to reopen, it’s important to never lose sight of the importance of a strong culture. That’s something Donna Orendar is focused on right now; recognized as one of the top 10 women in the sports business, she knows how strong culture drives sales, engagement, and creates a better, healthier workforce. Donna was formerly the Senior Vice President of the PGA Tour for 17 years, after playing 3 seasons of the WBL and as Team Captain in the Women’s 1985 Maccibah Games in Israel. After her career as a star basketball player and PGA executive, she was elected to be President of the WNBA where she drove double digit growth across all key metrics, even in the fallout of the 2008 recession. Since then she has gone on to found Orender Unlimited, Generation W, and Generation Wow, aimed at giving opportunities and empowering women across the workforce and the V Foundation. Donna joined us to talk about the power of helping others find purpose, what it means to really work for good, and the importance of creating “good work.” With another huge shift for our workers coming around, this convo is not only timely, but important. So with that...let’s bring it in!

When you and your team are thrust into stardom from Netflix’s Last Chance U: Basketball documentary, you’d expect things to change pretty quickly for you right? Not for Coach John Mosley, who’s looking to continue a dominant run with the ELAC Huskies with a 189-52 record, and 8 straight trips to the CCCAA Championships.  Coach Mosley is an East L.A. Husky through and through. He was a player and 2x Team Captain in his time as a student-athlete at ELAC before moving on to coach and play at Masters College and California State University Bakersville. Over his career he’s been named as one of the Top 50 Most Impactful JUCO 50 and has become a leader, advocate and mentor to young people across his community. Coach Mosley knows what it takes to lead a team that’s diverse in ethnicity, race, social economic class, and ideas. For any talent leader looking to lead an equally diverse team to victory, this episode is a must listen. Let’s bring it in!