Shannan Farmer, Lead Talent Partner at Freshpaint, details a sharp first thirty days blueprint, from fast ATS upgrades to structured debriefs and centralized feedback, proving that disciplined process can increase quality without sacrificing pace. Shannon breaks down anti sell as a filter for true builders and explains why behaviors like resourcefulness and ownership matter more than pedigree. She also makes the case for giving recruiters the authority to uphold standards with executives while cutting time to fill and reducing agency reliance.

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Ashlye Hernandez, Executive Director of Global Talent Acquisition and Operations at nCino, examines how her path from rural North Carolina to executive leadership shaped a people-first approach grounded in respect, resilience, and direct communication. She reflects on early missteps that strengthened her assertiveness, the feedback systems and personal board of directors that fueled her growth, and why work-life balance is really about intentional trade-offs. The conversation offers a practical lens on leading with clarity, discipline, and long-term impact.

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Morgan Whyte, Senior Director, Global Head of TA and Employer Brand at Commvault, shows how early stability and unexpected family challenges forged her resilience and ownership mindset. She outlines the work ethic built through early jobs, the clarity gained from poor leadership, and the choice to pursue stretch roles that expanded her visibility and impact. The conversation reframes talent acquisition as a high-standards, high-empathy function where advocacy and proactive partnership drive results.

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Jaasiel Bulnes, VP of Global Talent Acquisition at Workiva, reveals how growing up amid Miami’s constant motion and being raised in an immigrant household shaped Jasi’s resilience, resourcefulness, and commitment to earning trust. He reflects on the sponsors who advocated for him, the feedback that sharpened his self-awareness, and the shift from driving results himself to building leaders who can scale impact. The conversation positions talent acquisition as a business function where context drives the right metrics, and long-term value outweighs speed alone.

Books mentioned:

- Radical Candor by Kim Scott

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Thank you to our sponsor, SecureVision, for making this show possible!

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Jeramy Keetch, Director of Talent Acquisition at Nerdy, traces how his Midwestern upbringing and global service experiences shaped his leadership philosophy, one rooted in empathy and adaptability. He reflects on faith, family, and cross-cultural learning, connecting those lessons to AI-native talent practices that reveal potential beyond traditional résumés.

Books mentioned:

- Good to Great by Jim Collins

- The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People by Steven Covey

- Counseling With Our Councils by Elder Ballard

Connect with host James Mackey on LinkedIn!

Thank you to our sponsor, SecureVision, for making this show possible!

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Nicole Hirsch, Sr. Director of TA & People Operations at Lattice, explores how a foundation in philosophy and early leadership as an RA shaped her people-first approach. Nicole and James talk about parallels between Plato and Confucius, and modern hiring. They discuss why investing in people, and redefining success beyond a linear ladder matter most during a major career and life transitions.

Content mentioned:

- The Big Questions of Philosophy by Professor Kyle Johnson

- Sci-Phi: Science Fiction as Philosophy by Professor Kyle Johnson

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Thank you to our sponsor, SecureVision, for making this show possible!

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Lauren Groshong, GTM Recruiting Leader at Vanta, shares how growing up with grit and humor was foundational to her leadership style. Lauren talks about her time leading business recruiting at Grammarly, and how the leadership team has supported staff based in Ukraine throughout the war with Russia.

Connect with host James Mackey on LinkedIn!

Thank you to our sponsor, SecureVision, for making this show possible!

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Lance Sapera, Global Head of Talent at Barracuda, shares how growing up in a Navy family and learning from John Wooden's Pyramid of Success shaped his practical, people-first approach to leadership. From flight deck rules like aviate, navigate, communicate, to modern cybersecurity hiring, he shows how empathy with standards, long-term pipelines, and disciplined systems compound to build sustainable, high-trust teams.

Books mentioned:

- Pyramid of Success by John Wooden

- Outliers by Malcolm Gladwell

- David and Goliath by Malcolm Gladwell

Podcast mentioned: EP 134 with Amit Yoran

Story behind aviate, navigate, communicate: 40:36 - 44:57

Connect with host James Mackey on LinkedIn!

Thank you to our sponsor, SecureVision, for making this show possible!

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