I won’t be attending SHRM’s annual conference this year. Instead, I’ll be at the beach, which is a better choice. But because I’m a nerd, I read through this year’s lineup, and it felt like flipping through a college coursebook—some required, some ridiculous, and a few surprising. I told my friend Jennifer McClure that these…
Facing a brain tumor and navigating menopause were not challenges Christine Muldoon ever anticipated would redefine her role as a leader and a woman. Her story is a powerful testament to the resilience and empathy that arise from confronting personal health challenges head-on. On this episode of the Punk Rock HR Podcast, Christine, Senior Vice…
During Nazi Germany, most ordinary citizens chose silence. The White Rose students, pastor Dietrich Bonhoeffer, and Colonel Claus von Stauffenberg are examples of outliers who actively opposed the regime. However, historians estimate that only 1–2% of the German population resisted. Now, America is facing its own rise of authoritarianism and a troubling surge in hate.…
When the economy tanks, the executive coaching business booms. Suddenly, everyone wants to sharpen their power skills. Leaders want clarity, teams need direction, and boards demand results. But it begs the question. What does an executive coach actually do? My BFF Jennifer McClure says, “What an executive coach is and does is not always what…
Hey, technology leaders! Could you help me with this math? I pay $70 monthly for home internet that goes out pretty regularly. I pay $122 for a phone I barely use, except to buy things I’ve been nudged into wanting through a mix of fear and shame. I pay another small fortune for streaming services…
I’ve been critical of how corporate America uses AI. Not because I oppose technology, but because I reject the idea that cutting jobs with generative and agentic AI is natural, necessary, or noble. It’s not. It’s a choice. Right now, AI is used to squeeze more productivity from fewer people. The same tools that generate…
Sometime during the 2024 presidential campaign, I heard Kamala Harris say, “We like hard work. Hard work is good work. Hard work is joyful work.” She meant to celebrate the dignity of labor. She was trying to inspire. And she’s not wrong. But at that moment, I knew the message wouldn’t land, especially not with…
My heart was caught off guard by the news that Esmond Harmsworth died last week. This one hurts. Esmond was my literary agent, and like many authors fortunate enough to work with him, he changed my life. We first met in 2018. I was working on a book proposal that had some promise. We agreed…
Recognition Is a Recession Strategy When the economy nosedives, most companies panic. They slash budgets, freeze hiring, and cancel the holiday party. Survival mode kicks in. But here’s what they often forget: People are still showing up. And they’re scared. That’s where recognition comes in, not as fluff, but as a strategy. It’s easy to…
Career Hacks We talk a lot about career hacks. How to land the dream job. How to find purpose and meaning at work. But here’s something people don’t always say out loud: the best career advantage is having money. The second-best? Having enough of a cushion to take risks. A friend once told me, “People…