
People Business w/ O'Brien McMahon
Every business is in some way a “people business” with success or failure often coming down to how leaders manage the people dynamics of their organization. People Business is a weekly podcast focused on what it takes to build and lead a successful, profitable business by navigating the human element.
Latest episodes

Feb 13, 2024 • 1h 4min
Performance Mindset w/ Jon McGraw
Jon McGraw co-founded Vision Pursue (VP) after it’s principles radically shifted his mindset, performance, and overall life experience. He’s since guided and assisted in the successful application of these principles inside hundreds of corporate teams and sports franchises. He’s a sought after keynote speaker, workshop facilitator, and Performance Mindset trainer. Before VP, Jon played 10 years in the NFL plus completed business management and entrepreneurship programs at Harvard Business School and Wharton Business School. Mentioned on the Show:Learn more about Jon’s organization, Vision Pursue: https://visionpursue.com/Jon’s profile and bio: https://visionpursue.com/vp-team/jon-mcgraw/#bio-anchorConnect with Jon on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jonmcgrawperformancemindsetJocko Willink’s podcast: https://pod.link/1070322219Jocko Willink – “GOOD”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IdTMDpizis8Wim Hof breathing techniques: https://www.wimhofmethod.com/breathing-exercises________________________Connect with O’Brien McMahon on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/obrienmcmahon/Learn more about O’Brien: https://obrienmcmahon.com/O’Brien’s new book—How You Become You—is available now: https://a.co/d/22kZ0sV________________________Timestamps:(2:13) - Welcoming Jon(2:54) - How did you get into brain science and mental performance as a profession?(4:48) - Can you talk about the different components of brain productivity and brain healing?(6:32) - When you shift to a more conscious response what do you see in the brain from a health perspective?(7:59) - What have you seen with your own brain scans?(11:45) - What do you think meditation would have done for you while you were playing football?(13:03) - What do you mean by “hard drivers especially need to use meditation techniques?”(17:51) – Does our society have an unnatural focus on “purpose?”(24:06) - What are your recommendations to keep the loose, playful mentality when we need to make money?(27:30) - What does the shift from analytical to experiential brain?(36:12) - How do you help people keep the big vision and be present in the same moment?(38:34) - How do we attach dopamine to things it wouldn’t normally be attached to?(43:13) - What do you do when that negative voice comes back?(49:03) - How does your work help people stay on task and not need the dopamine rush of escape activities?(53:27) - How do we assess the emotion we’re feeling and how do we find a healthier path for it?(57:16) - What would you recommend as a place to start?(1:01:02) - What is power breathing?(1:02:57) - Where can people reach you?

Feb 6, 2024 • 51min
Presenting With Presence w/ Brad Karsh
Brad is the Founder and CEO of JB Training Solutions. An accomplished public speaker and executive coach, Brad has been featured on CNN, CNBC, and Dr. Phil, and has been quoted in: The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, Fortune, and USA Today among many others. Brad is also the author of three business books including the critically acclaimed Manager 3.0: A Millennial’s Guide to Rewriting the Rules of Management. Brad presents annually at the SHRM National Conference and was ranked #1 out of more than 200 speakers. Mentioned on the Show:JB Training Solutions: https://jbtrainingsolutions.com/Connect with Brad on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bradkarsh/Manager 3.0 by Brad Karsh (book): https://a.co/d/3QO4E48________________________Connect with O’Brien McMahon on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/obrienmcmahon/Learn more about O’Brien: https://obrienmcmahon.com/O’Brien’s new book—How You Become You—is available now: https://a.co/d/22kZ0sVTimestamps:(2:11) - Welcoming Brad.(4:06) - How did you go from advertising to running a training and development company?(7:57) - How did you hone your ability to command attention? (11:30) - What was the process for improving your speaking ability?(15:48) - How do you balance the best possible you with the authentic you?(20:27) - Can you talk about different styles for different scenarios?(24:21) - How do you think about language?(31:15) - How have you built your ability to tell stories and connect with other people?(33:10) - How did you become the guy who thinks in stories?(37:45) - Do you have examples of how to bring these subjects to life?(45:06) - Is there anything we haven’t covered?(49:25) - Where can people find you and JB Training Solutions if they want more of this in their lives?

Jan 30, 2024 • 57min
Global Benefits Management w/ Shannon Boyle
Shannon is the Practice Leader of Lockton's Global People Solutions team in the United States where she works with multinational companies, helping them organize and manage their global benefits programs. Mentioned on the Show:Lockton People Solutions: https://global.lockton.com/us/en/products-services/people-solutionsConnect with Shannon Boyle on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/shannon-boyle-8299604Learn more about Shannon at Lockton: https://global.lockton.com/us/en/news-insights/shannon-boyle-named-practice-leader-of-lockton-global-people-solutionsTimestamps:(2:14) - Welcoming Shannon.(2:54) - How did you get into global benefits?(4:59) - How should a leader think about rewards and benefits globally?(7:20) - When does it make sense to bring global benefits oversight in-house and when is it better to keep it with a global PEO model?(8:20) - Are there good global payroll companies?(12:24) - Can you talk about the variety of benefits from country to country? (16:01) - Where do you start when consulting with a new client?(23:16) - Are companies looking for equality or equity when it comes to benefits across the globe?(25:58) - What is the state of wellness or well-being programs around the world?(31:17) - How should employers think about managing small and large populations under the same umbrella?(34:01) - Has EAP utilization changed around the world?(38:42) - What are best practices for avoiding cross-cultural mistakes?(39:54) - Can you define "governance" when it comes to managing global benefits?(42:32) - How can leaders tap into the local market while keeping decision-making centralized?(44:35) - What types of benefits are available to Expats?(49:16) - What is multi-national pooling?(51:50) - How is Lockton approaching global benefits differently than competitors?

Jan 23, 2024 • 1h 2min
Getting Past "US vs THEM" w/ Laura Kriska
Laura Kriska is an expert on cross-cultural relations with more than thirty years of experience bridging gaps in diverse workplaces. She has worked with Fortune 500 companies on four continents, helping thousands of professionals build trust across Us vs. Them differences based on nationality, ethnicity, race, religion, age, or any factor of identity. Her WE-Building framework provides practical and actionable insights for creating a more inclusive and productive world. Mentioned on the Show:Laura Kriska's book, The Business of We: https://a.co/d/bcm1SVqLearn more about Laura at her website: https://www.laurakriska.com/Connect with Laura on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/laura-kriska-0a93902aMarcus Buckingham (author): https://www.marcusbuckingham.com/Bonus! Twelve Hours' Sleep by Twelve Weeks Old (baby sleep training book): https://a.co/d/aklrwroTimestamps:(2:16) - Welcoming Laura(3:15) - Why are we so afraid of those who are different than us and how do you see that showing up in the workplace?(5:03) - Can you give us a little bit about your background that led you into this field?(10:10) - What’s your response to the attitude of ‘let’s buck up and move on’ in relation to that kind of situation?(16:44) - Are microaggressions real or no?(21:45) - How can we 'reframe' some group identities we may hold?(29:25) - How do we do this in corporate environments?(35:19) - How do we open ourselves to embrace new and diverse situations?(43:02) - Are there ways to do this that don’t fall into 'tokenism'?(48:56) - How can leaders harness truly improve communication among various groups?(50:29) - What do we really have to get at to be bridging these connections?(55:49) - Do you have any suggestions for business leaders on how to make room for nuance and allow difference of opinion to exist?(1:00:21) - Laura invites us all to WE-build

Jan 16, 2024 • 1h 3min
High Performance Professionals w/ Kendra Brodin
Kendra Brodin is the Founder and CEO of EsquireWell, a lawyer well-being and professional development company providing consulting, training, and the EsquireWell Academy, a cutting-edge online learning community, to help lawyers be happier, healthier, and more successful. Before founding her company, Kendra was Chief Attorney Development Officer at a large national law firm where she managed firm-wide lawyer training and development as well as well-being initiatives. In this episode, we talk about the performance expectations placed on attorneys and what they (or professionals in any industry) can do to be at our best in a demanding environment. Mentioned in this Episode: Kendra's Coaching firm Esquire Well: https://www.esquirewell.com/The Feeling Wheel developed by Dr. Gloria Wilcox: https://cdn.gottman.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/The-Gottman-Institute_The-Feeling-Wheel_v2.pdfThe Upside of Stress by Kelly McGonigal: https://a.co/d/7DQEt4Q TED Talk: https://www.ted.com/talks/kelly_mcgonigal_how_to_make_stress_your_friend?language=enTimestamps(1:44) - Welcoming Kendra(2:01) - What do you do and how did you come to be doing that work?(5:26) - Is it safe to say that this conversation is not just limited to corporate attorneys but to all who think about the workplace as performance?(6:39) - What are the demands placed on attorneys?(10:48) - What are the traits required to navigate the legal field at a high level?(15:35) - What are good ways people can start to do this work and recognize the impact of their emotions?(22:23) - Can we do this on our own? Are there any exercises to start to do this?(40:01) - Is discussing these "soft" emotional matters a distraction?(42:31) - How do you think about grit and mental toughness?(46:53) - How do you help clients determine where they are in the spectrum and whether they need to hang in there or stop and take a break?(50:43) - What does good recovery look like?(1:00:08) - Is there anything you’d like to add to sum up our conversation?

Dec 12, 2023 • 60min
The Philosopher Manager w/ Paul LaLonde
Paul A. LaLonde, SHRM-CP, CCAP is a deliberate HR pro, who believes philosophy is a difference-making pursuit in business and life. Paul serves as the VP of People & Culture for CEDA of Cook County in Chicago. CEDA is one of the largest Community Action Agencies in the Country. Paul has won numerous awards including the HR Today MVP Award for his blog HR Philosopher. He is also a bestselling author of the book People Fusion: Best Practices to Build and Retain a Strong Team. Mentioned on the Show:The HR Philosopher (blog): https://hrphilosopher.com/People Fusion (book): https://a.co/d/8nbTBkgThe Art of Living and Finding Happiness translated by Sharon Lebell (book): https://a.co/d/e5lGvcyThe Obstacle Is the Way by Ryan Holiday (book): https://a.co/d/gKitXFFMan’s Search For Meaning by Viktor Frankl (book): https://a.co/d/7KWlloqThe Tao of Strategy by L. J. Bourgeois, Serge Eygenson, Kanokrat Namasondhi (book): https://a.co/d/bcvtVIlTimestamps:(1:44) - Welcoming Paul(2:15) - What is philosophy to you?(6:16) - How did you come to philosophy originally?(8:37) - What types of philosophy have you studied the most and which do you think are most relevant to business leaders today?(14:28) - Can you explain the Philosopher Manager concept?(16:41) - Where do people start and what are the basic principles of the Philosopher Manager?(25:13) - What does it mean to lead yourself?(27:28) - What does your journaling practice look like?(28:56) - Will you take a quote or a line and break down what it means to you?(31:05) - What does the personal reflection look like when you don’t act as you think you should have?(40:05) - How do you use philosophy when making decisions?(42:10) - Is there anything you’ve learned from philosophy that's helped you communicate better?(47:11) - What changes have you made in your personal life based on these philosophies?(55:01) - Where is the best place for the newcomer to start?(57:14) - What is the purpose of business?

Dec 5, 2023 • 57min
Win the Relationship, Not the Deal w/ Casey Jacox
Casey Jacox is the founder of Winning The Relationship, LLC, a consulting firm providing executive sales leadership and coaching. He is also the author of a book by the same name and host of The Quarterback DadCast, a podcast that offers stories, advice, and wisdom for fathers looking to improve their leadership skills and emotional intelligence. In this episode, he shares the importance of relationships and what it means to "win the relationship, not the deal". Mentioned on the Show:Win the Relationship, NOT the Deal (book): https://a.co/d/hZstgIbLearn more about Casey: https://www.caseyjacox.com/Connect with Casey on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/caseyjacoxListen to O’Brien on Casey’s podcast, The Quarterback DadCast: https://pod.link/1492347381/episode/a2c5d75f419dd644efc8b88c6c220b81Getting Naked by Patrick Lencioni: https://a.co/d/cWa9vqsTimestamps:(1:34) - Welcoming Casey(2:30) - Who are you and what do you do?(7:11) - Why is your book titled “Win the Relationship, Not the Deal”?(12:11) - Where do we start when building relationships?(14:20) - How do you think about rapport and what makes a good question?(18:45) - Do you have any stories of when it doesn’t work and how you bring it back?(23:17) - Have you always been quick on your feet?(27:55) - What advice do you have for learning to think on your feet?(32:57) - How long does it take to build relationships?(37:42) - What do you say to people who feel like that’s forced?(43:55) - How do you feel about the hustle culture?(47:24) - How do you balance between hustling and taking care of yourself?(50:25) - What is your process for gaining clarity?(56:15) - Is there anything else you’d like to share?

Nov 28, 2023 • 1h 1min
The Holy Shift w/ Dan Michelson
Dan Michelson is the CEO of InCommon and author of Holy Shift! Moving Your Company Forward to the Future of Work. In addition to his work at InCommon, he is an Adjunct Professor at the Quinlan School of Business at Loyola University. In this conversation, Dan talks about historical shifts that have rocked the workplace and how what we are going through now is just the next wave (one we all need to recognize and adapt to). Mentioned in this Episode:Holy Shift (book): https://www.theholyshiftbook.com/InCommon: https://incommon.com/Dan on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/danmichelsonTimestamps(1:51) - Welcoming Dan(2:52) - What shift are you seeing in the workplace?(11:13) - What did you learn from studying past pandemics?(14:45) - What happens after a big change? (19:48) - How do you readjust and recalibrate your view of the world quickly?(26:07) - How do you teach others to adjust quickly?(31:52) - Do you have a practice for reflecting on how you see the world?(37:25) - How do we create a more human-centric approach to business? (39:50) - How do we foster connection?(46:07) - How can you orchestrate a struggle to bring everyone together in the workplace?(52:06) - What percentage of the population has this agile/shift skill set?(1:00:00) - What is the purpose of business?(1:00:58) - Is there anything you can share to direct us to what you’re doing?

Nov 14, 2023 • 57min
How to Ask if Someone Needs Help w/ Cece Sykes
Cece Sykes, LCSW, ACSW, is a consultant and senior trainer with the Internal Family Systems Institute where she specializes in trauma and addiction and educates therapists internationally on how to apply the IFS therapy model to addictive processes. In this episode, she shares ways concerned bosses, colleagues, and friends can broach the subject of addiction to help people get the care they need. Mentioned in this Episode:Cece Sykes, LCSW: https://www.cecesykeslcsw.com/Internal Family Systems Institute: https://ifs-institute.com/IFS Therapy for Addiction (book): https://a.co/d/ckmh356Befriending Your Inner Critic with Carolyn Sellers: https://peoplebusinesspodcast.com/carolynsellers/Timestamps:(2:52) - Welcoming Cece.(4:32) - What terminology should we use instead of ‘addiction’?(6:18) - Is addiction a disease we can cure or is it with us all the time?(9:13) - What’s a good frame of mind to be in when you have a conversation about addiction with someone?(11:43) - What’s the right way to approach a conversation when something is off with a person?(23:16) - How should someone prepare for this conversation?(24:47) - How do you do this as a therapist when you don’t have people giving you information or examples of negative behavior?(33:40) - Is it fair to say people who are struggling with an addictive process are in some way seeking balance?(36:28) - If someone is struggling and wants help would finding a specialist in Internal Family Systems be a good starting point?(36:43) - How can someone evaluate themselves to know when they’re losing control?(39:40) - What can we do to stop the cycle?(43:50) - How does somebody work through stopping a behavior?(47:19) - What’s the best way to help someone recognize they’re under pressure and need help?(49:43) - Can you talk about how to strike a balance between empathy and having boundaries?(54:42) - Is there anything else we haven’t covered that you think is important?

Nov 7, 2023 • 52min
Staying Agile & In The Game w/ Pamela Meyer
Pamela Meyer is a leading Agile Innovation expert who works with leaders, teams, and organizations that need to be more agile and innovative to compete in a rapidly changing world. She is the author of five books on agility, innovation, and learning, including her newest book, Staying in the Game: Leading and Learning with Agility for a Dynamic Future as well as The Agility Shift: Creating Agile and Effective Leaders, Teams and Organizations and From Workplace to Playspace: Innovating, Learning and Changing Through Dynamic Engagement. Mentioned in this Episode: Meyer Agile Innovations: https://pamela-meyer.com/meyer-agile-innovation/Staying In The Game (book): https://a.co/d/2Cg32lxThe Agility Shift (book): https://a.co/d/3IYwA3eTim Ferriss podcast with Arthur C Brooks on happiness: https://tim.blog/2023/09/11/arthur-c-brooks/Finite and Infinite Games: https://a.co/d/cOX4j21Quit: The Power of Knowing When to Walk Away by Annie Duke: https://a.co/d/9ldS2uYThe Infinite Game by Simon Sinek: https://a.co/d/4znuPkeTimestamps: (2:32) - Introducing Pamela and her work.(3:38) - Why did you write “Staying In The Game” and what is it about?(6:48) - What is a "game"? How should we think about our life in terms of games, and how do we know what game we are actually playing?(8:22) - What are the four ‘P’s?(10:15) - If we aren’t feeling purpose or passion in our career should we find another "game"?(12:15) - How do you take something that's working in one area and transfer it to other areas of your life? (15:55) - How do we balance the hard work and suffering it takes to reach a goal with happiness?(21:47) - How do you think about deciding between "how do I embrace the struggle?" versus "it’s time to move on"?(26:40) - How do we continue to play the game that makes us money while also loosening its grip on us so we can enjoy it?(29:03) - What does it mean to be agile?(29:58) - How does somebody self-assess their agility?(31:30) - Where do we start to improve our agility?(35:44) - Why is slowing down important to agility?(38:06) - Can you talk about the four different kinds of reflection?(43:40) - How do we move from self-confidence to self-awareness?(49:42) - What is the purpose of business?