After a summer break, Talk HR is back — and this episode is worth the wait. Harrison and Sam are joined by Steve Cadigan, LinkedIn’s first Chief HR Officer, author of Workquake, and one of the world’s most respected voices on the future of work. Steve helped scale LinkedIn from 400 to 4,000 employees in just three and a half years, building a culture so distinctive it’s still studied at Stanford today.

In this conversation, Steve shares how culture can become a company’s ultimate competitive advantage, why traditional views of career and loyalty are outdated, and why turnover—often seen as a liability—can actually be a strategic strength.

In this episode:

2:06: Introducing Steve Cadigan

3:07: Steve’s Accidental Path into HR

6:22: Scaling LinkedIn’s Culture

10:50: Redefining Culture Beyond “Pillars”

14:04: Culture in Today’s AI-Driven Workplace

22:17: A New HR Mindset

30:13: Closing Thoughts

As HR continues to evolve into a strategic force inside organizations, it's time to hear from a key partner: the CFO. In this mid-year finale episode of Talk HR, Harrison and Sam are joined by Maliek Branch, CFO of Greenwich House, to explore the intersection of finance and human resources in today's workplace. Maliek shares how her background in city government shaped her leadership style, what CFOs really think of HR-led initiatives, and why it’s time for finance and HR to stop talking past each other and start working together.

Key Moments:

• 00:06: Opening Remarks + Summer Plans
• 03:28 – Meet Maliek Branch, CFO of Greenwich House
• 04:31 – Why HR Reports to Finance at Greenwich House
• 06:43 – Finance vs. People: Finding Balance
• 08:46 – Advice for HR Professionals Building Bridges with Finance
• 10:03 – Measuring ROI on HR-Led Programs
• 14:19 – Inclusive Leadership & Pacing with Culture
• 17:01 – The Future of HR: Keeping the “HR” in “People & Culture”
• 18:12 – Advice for CFOs Working with HR
• 22:07 – About Greenwich House & How to Support

On this milestone 10th episode of Talk HR, co-hosts Harrison Newman and Sam D’Arcurio reflect on Mental Health Awareness Month, the personal routines that support their own well-being, and the evolving definition of holistic employee wellness. Then, Sam welcomes Einat Steklov, co-founder and CEO of Kashable, for a candid and timely conversation about financial wellness as a mental health strategy — and why access to low-cost credit can be transformative for employees.

Einat breaks down how Kashable partners with employers to offer fair, reliable, and data-informed credit options that reduce stress, increase productivity, and build long-term financial resilience.

Key Moments:

(01:00) Sam and Harrison discuss Mental Health Awareness Month

(03:00) How employers can support mental health beyond therapy

(05:00) The link between physical health, financial stress, and mental wellness

(09:00) Meet the guest: Einat Steklov, CEO and co-founder of Kashable

(11:00) What the credit system gets wrong — and how Kashable helps fix it

(23:00) Emergency expenses, debt cycles, and why Kashable is more than a stopgap

(27:30) Financial literacy: Why education matters — but liquidity comes first

(34:30) Final thoughts