Podcasts

Podcast: Julia Zhou — Responsible AI Starts With People, Not Technology

We’re joined by Julia Zhou, Co-Founder and CTO of SAAFE.ai, a veteran technology leader with decades of experience as CIO, CTO, and Head of Product across complex healthcare organizations, including HCM, CINQCARE, CBH, and Molina Healthcare. Julia shares how responsible AI, trust, and culture intersect in healthcare and hiring, and why safety-first thinking matters as AI reshapes how teams are built and led. Oz and Julia explore the art of ethical AI in practice, what top founders in the Bay Area are prioritizing today, and how leaders can hire for curiosity, resilience, and cultural alignment in an increasingly automated world.

Podcast: Dariya Golan — The Marathon Mindset: Leading High-Performance Cultures

We sit down with Dariya Golan, CEO, Advanced Surgery Center of Clifton at SCA Health. Dariya shares her incredible journey, starting as an entrepreneur in Ukraine to leading a major healthcare turnaround where she has grown EBITDA by 500%. She discusses how the mental toughness gained from running 12 marathons translates directly to the boardroom and why the CEO must personally represent the culture they expect from their team.

Podcast: Evan Shy — The Brutal Truth About Entrepreneurship

Evan Shy, Chief Executive Officer of HTD Talent and Coding Temple, joins Oz to explore the realities of building scalable enterprises, accelerated talent development, and the unglamorous truths of entrepreneurship. They discuss how AI is transforming workforce training, the mental fortitude required to build sustainable businesses, and the three critical validations every founder must complete before launching.

Podcast: Takes on Talent: Best of 2025

This “Best of 2025” edition brings together standout moments from the leaders who defined the year. Oz revisits conversations with Russell Foltz-Smith, Advisor, AI Strategist, and EVP of Product of Smarter Sorting; Amos Schwartzfarb, CEO Coach, Advisor, and Author, and Formerly MD of Techstars Austin; Ozge Gunaydin Erturk, CMO of FloSports and former Amazon leader; Kevin Dooley, CHRO of Q² Solutions and former executive of Deutsche Bank, Colgate Palmolive, and PepsiCo; Tim Rains, VP and CISO of ADT and former Microsoft and Amazon security leader; Tara May, CEO of Aspiritech; and Mariano Filippini, Founder of Gen-FC, Formerly of TelevisaUnivision and Miami Sharks. Each highlight shares a moment where these leaders challenged how we hire, how we lead, and how we understand talent, spanning AI and human connection, neurodiversity in tech, leadership under pressure, global sports, and the mindset needed to build high-performing teams.

Podcast: Pari Parchi — Breaking Barriers From Wall Street to the Board Room, and as a Mother

Today, we talk with Pari Parchi, Founder and CEO of Panorama Aero. Before launching Panorama Aero, she built an elite Wall Street career at Morgan Stanley, Fortress Investment Group, and Cowen, where she became CEO of Cowen Aviation Finance. Pari shares how structured finance shaped her entrepreneurial edge, why she refused early dilution, how she built a specialized aviation fleet serving high-stakes missions, and what motherhood, ownership, and independent thinking have taught her about leadership and hiring.

Podcast: Michael Rady — Coaching-Led Leadership: From High School Basketball to the Boardroom

Today, we’re joined by Michael Rady, Executive Vice President of People and Culture at Swisher, whose career spans senior leadership roles at PepsiCo, United Parks & Resorts, and Ingersoll Rand. He brings a lifetime of coaching influence, a world-class talent mindset, and deep experience leading organizations through transformation. Michael shares how his athletic upbringing shaped his leadership philosophy, why coaching is central to every manager’s job, and how he’s helping modernize a legacy brand through culture, care, and capability.

Podcast: Ozge Gunaydin Erturk — How Nontraditional Paths Can Lead to an Amazing Career

Host Oz Rashid talks with Ozge Gunaydin Erturk, Chief Marketing Officer of FloSports. Before joining FloSports, Ozge built a powerhouse career at global brands including Amazon, Match.com, and Varsity Tutors. She shares how her engineering background shaped her data-driven marketing approach, what she learned from Amazon’s leadership culture, and how she applies those lessons to building teams, earning trust, and hiring for ownership.

Podcast: Lauren Easterday — The 8-Hour Interview That Worked: When Breaking Hiring Rules Makes Sense

On this episode, host Oz Rashid talks with Healthcare Operations Leader Lauren Easterday, Founder and Principal of EastLight LLC. Before launching her own firm, Lauren built a distinguished career in healthcare and operations, holding leadership roles at Wipro, Clearway Health, and HealthPartners. Lauren is also a member of several professional healthcare and leadership organizations focused on board readiness and governance. She shares how those experiences shaped her mission to help companies execute effectively at critical inflection points by bridging strategy, technology, and people to drive meaningful change in the healthcare industry.

Podcast: Kristen Medlin — How HR and AI Come Together in Healthcare

On this episode, host Oz Rashid talks with Kristen Medlin, Chief Human Resources Officer of Eventus WholeHealth. Kristen’s career spans two decades of shaping HR, first in Aiken Regional Medical Centers and then UHS, before her move to Eventus. Kristen leads with an innovation-first mindset, blending technology, empathy, and strategy to redefine team culture and transform healthcare HR through AI and human-centered leadership.

Podcast: Nan Poppen — 25 Years at One Company: The Loyalty Secret That Built a Banking Empire

Nan Poppen, Chief Human Resources Officer of First Bank & Trust, has dedicated over 25 years to the company, leading its HR department for the last 17 years. Nan is a rare example of loyalty and people-first leadership in an era defined by career moves and shifting priorities. She oversees HR for a workforce of over 750 employees across 17 branches, spearheading everything from strategic hiring, DEI, and leadership development to nurturing a culture rooted in community and connection.

Podcast: Mariano Filippini — How To Take Calculated Risks and Transform Your Career

We sit down with Mariano Filippini, Founder of Gen-FC, the first youth soccer channel in the US. Mariano’s career includes HSBC bank (where he earned a full-tuition NYU Stern MBA scholarship) to working at TelevisaUnivision managing Global Content Licensing business before moving on to fill the role of CEO at Miami Sharks. Mariano shares his perspective on taking calculated risks, leading with humility, and building proactive teams. Through his transition from corporate leadership to entrepreneurship and his focus on sustainable growth and energy management, Mariano offers practical insights into what it means to evolve as a modern leader.

Podcast: Jae Zayed — How AI Is Already Revolutionizing Healthcare

Join us for an insightful conversation with Jae Zayed, a seasoned technology executive who has led digital transformation initiatives across healthcare organizations, from Oracle and The Cerner Corporation to Southwest General Health Center, where he currently serves as Chief Digital and Information Officer. This episode explores the practical realities of AI implementation in healthcare, the importance of people-first leadership, and valuable lessons from building teams across different cultures and continents. Jae shares compelling insights on navigating the AI hype cycle, implementing governance frameworks for responsible AI adoption, and creating healthcare experiences that truly serve patients and clinicians. From ambient listening technology to AI-driven scheduling systems, discover how healthcare organizations can leverage artificial intelligence while maintaining the human touch that's essential to patient care.

Podcast: Monica Anderton — Building People-First Cultures From Retail to Manufacturing

We’re thrilled to welcome Monica Anderton in this week’s episode. Monica’s journey spans industry giants — including The Home Depot, global metal leader Novelis, and her current role as Chief Human Resources Officer for the North America Packaging and Paper Division of DS Smith, a global heavyweight in sustainable packaging. At each stop, Monica has shaped organizations, built world-class cultures, and led teams through transformative growth. Monica’s experiences are the kind that electrify any HR, leadership, or business community.

Podcast: Nathalie Danielle Weister — The Energy Blueprint for Leaders: Embodied Leadership

We’re joined by Nathalie Danielle Weister, Embodied Leadership Coach and Founder of Nathalie Danielle | Embodied Leadership Coaching. She previously held leadership roles at TelevisaUnivision, Hilton, The Walt Disney Company, and Fox Networks Group, bringing a wealth of experience in people, culture, and leadership development. Nathalie shares her journey from corporate HR to building her own coaching practice, and why embodied leadership, or leading from the inside out, matters now more than ever. If you’ve ever questioned alignment in your career, struggled with culture-building at scale, or felt the weight of reactive hiring, this conversation will resonate.

Podcast: Tara May — How Hiring Neurodiverse Professionals Can Take Your Company From Good to Great

On this episode, Oz Rashid welcomes Tara May, Chief Executive Officer of Aspiritech, a pioneering tech company that creates meaningful employment training and career paths for autistic and neurodivergent professionals. A 25-year veteran of digital transformation, Tara is on the Board of Directors at HAAPE and Neurowrx, a Member of the Forbes Business Council, and was formerly EVP at Winsight, LLC. She blends technology leadership and cultural change, building scalable QA, cybersecurity and skills programs that prove inclusion drives measurable performance. A tireless neurodiversity advocate, she partners with national initiatives and community programs to make Aspiritech a global model for how businesses can tap overlooked talent while improving outcomes for both people and organizations.

Podcast: Takes On Talent: Christoph Niebel — Winning Today in Tomorrow's TA Market

In this episode, Oz Rashid interviews Christoph Niebel, President of AMS, on the future of talent acquisition, the intersection of AI and human-centered recruiting, building agile organizational models, metrics that matter, and the evolving role of HR leaders. Christoph shares practical frameworks and personal insights, providing actionable guidance for talent professionals in every industry.

Podcast: Daniel Gandarilla — Redefining the Real Job To Be Done in HR

We’re joined by Daniel Gandarilla, Chief Human Resources Officer of Gulf Coast Blood Center and former Chief Talent Officer of Atrium Health. A Stanford alum, Daniel also holds a doctorate in Educational Leadership, and won the 2017 Strategy Gold Award for his innovative L&D programs at Texas Health Resources. Daniel’s career journey spans education, leadership development, and HR strategy. In this episode, he shares lessons on hiring for potential, building complementary teams, the role of change management, and how AI is reshaping HR.

Podcast: Matt Gorman and Tomas Layrisse — Takes On Talent: How LinkedIn Changed the Game and What Comes Next

On this episode, we’re joined by MSH’s Chief Revenue Officer, Matt Gorman, and VP Solutions, Global RPO, Tomas Layrisse. We break down why technology isn’t the fix for recruitment’s biggest challenges and why relationships still matter more than ever.

Podcast: Kevin Dooley — Why Intellectual Curiosity Outranks Experience: Learnings From Deutsche Bank, Colgate-Palmolive, and PepsiCo

We dive deep with Kevin Dooley, Chief Human Resources Officer at IQVIA Laboratories. Kevin brings 20 years of global HR leadership experience, from building a 3,000-person function at Deutsche Bank to senior roles at Colgate-Palmolive and PepsiCo. The conversation explores how AI is reshaping the workplace, the critical difference between being a passenger versus a pilot in technological adoption, and why understanding the business is essential for creating real value in any organization.

Podcast: Russell Foltz‑Smith and Amos Schwartzfarb — The Myths and Realities of AI’s Impact on Work

We’re joined by Russell Foltz‑Smith, Advisor, AI Strategist, and EVP of Product at Smarter Sorting, and Amos Schwartzfarb, CEO Coach, Advisor, and Author and Formerly MD at Techstars Austin. Russell and Amos bring decades of startup leadership and product expertise to a candid conversation on AI, human decision‑making, and why technology will never replace the human element. They share insights on accountability in the age of automation, the myth of technological perfection, and how leaders can embrace imperfection while still building for impact.

Podcast: Nicki Leritz — Building High-Performing Teams: Lessons From Pentair and Smiths Medical

On today’s episode, we’re joined by Nicki Leritz, whose previous roles include CHRO at Pentair’s Water Solutions segment and HR leadership positions at Smiths Medical and the Andersen Corporation. She’s now helping growing companies rethink how they build and scale people strategies through People Solutions Hub. Nicki shares her lessons from leading HR through fast growth, high turnover, and burnout, and how those experiences shaped her approach to leadership, hiring, and retention.

Podcast: Estefania Diaz-Balart — Career Transformation and the Wellness Journey

We’re joined by Estefania Diaz-Balart, Comms and Sales Leader for LATAM Media and Sports and former VP of Marketing and Latin Business Development at Hard Rock Hotel & Casino. Estefania shares how she’s built a career rooted in relationships, adaptability, and a deep understanding of cultural nuance. From walking away from opportunities to embracing them, she offers honest reflections on leadership, career pivots, and the power of wellness in driving high performance.

Podcast: Brad Wilson — Why Toxic Workplaces Don’t Deserve Your Loyalty

We’re joined by Brad Wilson, Senior HR Leader, Speaker, and Author of “Good Works.” Brad shares why culture must be built around kindness and purpose — not control — and how leaders can make (or break) engagement at scale.

Podcast: Jamie Gabriel — Why Candidate Experience Is Brand Strategy at Altice and AMEX

We’re joined by Jaime Gabriel, Executive HR Leader and Talent Strategist, formerly of AMEX and Altice. She shares practical lessons from leading HR at major enterprises and offers a fresh approach to hiring, feedback, and team dynamics.

Podcast: Mandy Monk — Bringing an Engineer’s Brain to HR: Lessons From Pizza Hut to True Food Kitchen

We’re joined by Mandy Monk, Executive Director and Chief People Officer at The People AdvisERs, whose career began in engineering and technology leadership before transitioning into people strategy. Mandy shares how her systems-based approach shapes the way she identifies, develops, and scales talent. From rethinking hiring practices to integrating AI and reimagining what a career path can look like, Mandy offers fresh insight for anyone serious about building high-performing teams in modern organizations.

Podcast: Matt Gorman and Corey Bernis — Takes On Talent

In this episode of the inaugural episode of this mini-series, Oz Rashid sits down with Matt Gorman, Chief Revenue Officer of MSH, and Corey Bernis, Vice President, Talent Solutions at MSH, for an unfiltered conversation on what it really takes to build high-performing teams. They reflect on the early days of MSH, the evolution of company culture, and the delicate balance between trust, accountability, and psychological safety. This is a raw look into how leadership thinks about hiring, integration, healthy conflict, and the responsibility of living company values out loud.

Podcast: Shashank Shekhar — Why Empathy Without Accountability Fails Teams

On this episode, we’re joined by Shashank Shekhar, Founder and CEO of InstaMortgage, a category-defining fintech company in the mortgage industry. Shashank shares his remarkable journey from arriving in the US with no network or software background to building a thriving, award-winning business during a financial crisis. He opens up about hiring missteps, how to build a high-performance culture without micromanagement, and the future of work with AI-driven teams. He also discusses the importance of values-based leadership, the dangers of hiring based on brand names alone, and how founders can stay resilient through failures.

Podcast: Monique Manso — Why Human Connection Comes First

We’re joined by Monique Manso, Chief Revenue Officer of Essence Ventures. Monique shares her journey through corporate media, her return to Essence, and how purpose and performance drive her leadership today. She explains how hiring for care, not just capability, shapes her team, and why transparency and human connection are at the heart of every role she fills. We also dive into how brands must act with intention to authentically serve today’s multicultural audiences, and why Monique believes this isn’t a DEI issue — it’s a business one.

Podcast: Catherine Mitchell — The Talent Shift No One’s Talking About

On this episode, we’re joined by Catherine Mitchell, Senior Vice President of InnovAge and a seasoned healthcare operator with a passion for building teams that lead with empathy, adaptability, and purpose. Catherine shares how her early personal experiences shaped her leadership style, and why hiring for story and transferable skills often leads to better outcomes. Catherine and Oz discuss how to build resilient healthcare cultures, the importance of non-linear thinking in hiring, and how AI may reshape how we evaluate talent. Catherine also opens up about common hiring mistakes — including the danger of overvaluing referrals — and what she looks for in candidates beyond the résumé.

Podcast: Jose Siade — The Mindset Shift That Leads to Better Hires

On this episode, Oz Rashid talks with Jose Siade, Chief Product Officer and Co-Founder of TechWisp, and former SVP of Product at LPL Financial. Jose unpacks what it really means to build product-market fit, shares battle-tested lessons from running product in traditional and emerging markets, and explains why hiring for motivation, not just qualifications, leads to lasting team impact. From structuring MVPs to navigating startup constraints, this conversation is packed with valuable insights for product leaders, founders, and hiring managers looking to scale with intention.

Podcast: Ari Murray — The Interview Question That Exposes Character

On this episode, host Oz Rashid talks to Ari Murray, Chief Growth Officer of Sharma Brands and Creator of Go-to-Millions and Workweek. Ari shares how an unconventional journey shaped her unique lens on hiring, growth, and personal branding. She explains what makes a candidate stand out (hint: it’s not the résumé), why energy and curiosity matter more than polish, and how one cold email changed everything. From building a newsletter read by tens of thousands to helping scale D2C brands behind the scenes, Ari offers specific advice for anyone trying to build momentum in their career.

Podcast: Victoria Pelletier — From Iron Maiden to Whole-Hearted Leader

On this episode, we’re joined by Victoria Pelletier, Vice President of Enterprise Transformation at Kyndryl, who stepped into a COO role at 24 and never looked back. A former child actor, TEDx speaker, and branding expert, Victoria shares how her journey from “Iron Maiden” to “whole-human leader” reshaped how she hires, leads, and shows up authentically. From building resilient teams to embracing emotional intelligence, her insights offer a powerful blueprint for anyone hiring or leading in today’s workplace.

Podcast: Tim Rains — Balancing Urgency and Culture Fit

As Vice President and Chief Information Security Officer of ADT, Tim Rains brings a blend of urgency, discipline, and mission-driven leadership to the table. He and Oz discuss how a strong culture of accountability drives better hires, why structured interviews uncover top candidates, and how mentorship programs and cross-functional experience shape long-term success. Tim also shares lessons from his time at Microsoft, Amazon, and T-Mobile, including how mentorship circles and leadership principles helped shape his approach to team building and cybersecurity leadership.

Employee Experience

Podcast: Amos Schwartzfarb — Accelerating Tech Startups, the Reality of Building a Business, and Unspoken Candidate Characteristics

With me (your host Oz Rashid) on this episode is Amos Schwartzfarb, Managing Director at Techstars — a mentorship-driven capital accelerator — to discuss entrepreneurship, investing and, of course, hiring.

Employee Experience

Podcast: Mandy Shaw — Transforming the C-Suite, Managing With Intention, and How Parenting Impacts Leadership Style

On this episode, Oz is joined by Mandy Shaw — President and Chief Executive Officer at Blaze Pizza, LLC — for a conversation about managing with intention and by example, how parenting makes you a better leader, company culture by design, and how small actions speak volumes.

Employee Experience

Podcast: Wade Mitzel - A Heart for Healthcare, Stewarding With Compassion and Living the Mission Through Hiring

The discussion centers on living out that mission and culture daily, to make it real and not simply a statement on a piece of paper.

Employee Experience

Podcast: Amelia Sordell — How To Build a Fast-Growing Startup and a Killer Company Culture

With me, your host Oz Rashid, on this episode, I am joined by Amelia Sordell, Founder of Klowt — a personal branding agency — to discuss Klowt’s hiring process, culture and the innovative onboarding strategy they use to enable continual improvements.

Employee Experience

Podcast: Jeff Nadler — Teladoc CIO on How to Hire Effectively for a Company Transforming Healthcare

With me [your host Oz Rashid] on this episode, I am joined by Jeff Nadler, Chief Information Officer at Teladoc Health — a telemedicine and virtual healthcare company — to speak about scaling, supply and demand, and innovating on the fly during Covid.

Employee Experience

Podcast: Deanna Meador — CEO, Inventor and Entrepreneur Extraordinaire

With me [your host Oz Rashid] on this episode I am joined by Deanna Meador, CEO at Couture Technologies — virtual try-on technology — and Director of Entrepreneurship at Vanderbilt University — a private research university in Nashville — to speak about her dual roles and involvement with hundreds of hires.

Employee Experience

Podcast: Anders Jones — Why Every Decision Is a Financial One, Evaluating the Growth-Seeker Archetype and Avoiding Opportunistic Mis-Hires

With me [your host, Oz Rashid] on this episode I am joined by Anders Jones – CEO and Co-Founder at Facet – who shares the unique financial model that Facet is built upon, as well as how the company handles being completely virtual, and their unique hiring ideologies.

Employee Experience

Podcast: Steve Nudelberg — Strategies to Stay “On The Ball” with Sales Hiring

With me [your host Oz Rashid] on this episode, I am joined by Steve Nudelberg, Principal Thinker at On the Ball Ventures — a coaching company that helps entrepreneurs and businesses to grow — to share strategies to stay “On The Ball” with sales hiring.

Employee Experience

Podcast: Jenn Crenshaw — Pioneering People Strategy for High-Growth Healthcare Startups

With me [your host Oz Rashid] on this episode, I am joined by Jenn Crenshaw, Chief People Officer at Prospero Health, to share her early career experiences, hiring philosophies, work ethic and favorite interview questions.

Employee Experience

Podcast: David MacLaren - Entrepreneurial Problem-Solving, Interviewing for Culture Fit & Why He Checks Every Reference

David MacLaren is Founder & CEO at MediaValet Inc. On this episode, he joins Oz to talk about aligning the right candidates with the right roles. MediaValet Inc. is a leader in the rapidly emerging cloud-based digital asset management (DAM) industry.

Employee Experience

Podcast: Tyneeha Rivers — Cultivating Culture at Scale and Interviewing With Empathy, Inclusion and Allyship

As Chief People Officer for Curaleaf, one of the world’s largest cannabis companies, Tyneeha Rivers is responsible for cultivating a positive company culture at scale. She and Oz discuss who is responsible for culture within an organization and how it impacts the hiring process.

Employee Experience

Podcast: Eric Rosenfeldt — Uncovering EQ, Embracing Surprises and Going Beyond the Job Description

What kind of talent does it take to solve the world’s water crisis? Eric Rosenfeldt, CEO at Magna Imperio Systems Corp., talks with Oz about seeking alignment between a candidate’s core values and those of the organization to help achieve strategic outcomes.

Employee Experience

Podcast: Matt Poepsel — Talent Optimization, Defining Success and Taking the Road Less Traveled

This episode features Matt Poepsel, Vice President and the “Godfather of Talent Optimization” at The Predictive Index (PI). PI offers a variety of tools and assessments that help organizations solve business problems through the lens of understanding individuals.

Employee Experience

Podcast: Wes Sellers — Transforming Healthcare Funding, Embracing Fear and Failure, and the Future of Behavioral Health Outreach

In this episode, Oz welcomes CEO and Co-Founder at CaringWays, Wes Sellers. CaringWays is a medical fundraising platform designed to help patients and their families collect funds for health expenses. It also provides donors and supporters with security and peace of mind by ensuring that funds are directed to the right places.

Employee Experience

Podcast: Anna Talerico — Interviewing for Authenticity, Knowing Your Dealbreakers & the Buzz on Quiet Quitting

Anna Talerico, CEO at Corporate Finance Institute (CFI), joins Oz on this episode to talk about hiring for an L&D organization. CFI is a global provider of professional development courses and certifications for finance professionals. Anna shares what helps build a culture of learning — hiring for curiosity and a commitment to helping others to learn and grow.

Employee Experience

Podcast: Eric Kau – Hiring for High-Growth Businesses, Culture Fit vs. Capabilities, and a COO’s Job Explained

Eric shares his hiring philosophy: businesses should take a “measure twice, cut once” approach, especially in small, high-growth startups.

Employee Experience

Podcast: Brian Carlson - Hire Slow, Fire Fast: Cultivating an Impactful Company Culture

Brian shares his company’s hiring philosophy and the book that inspired it. The organization takes a team-based approach to hiring. He talks about the value of panel interviews, building rapport through conversation, and the questions that help to get a real glimpse into a candidate’s hunger for excellence.

Employee Experience

Podcast: Sam Jaddi - Sound the Alarm! How Your Hiring Processes Rob You of Top Talent

In this episode, MSH founder and CEO Oz Rashid talks to Sam about why hiring is so important and what companies risk when they don’t prioritize it.

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