Welcome to this episode of the People Leader Accelerator Podcast, where we sit down with industry leaders to uncover the real-life insights, strategies, and challenges that shape world-class organizations.

Our guest today is Melanie Naranjo, Chief People Officer at Ethena, joining hosts Andrew Bartlow and Jess Yuen for a candid conversation about the real skills, mindset shifts, and strategies needed to accelerate a people leader’s impact at the executive table.

In this episode, we explore Melanie’s career journey from her start in HR to her transition into leading people teams at high-growth startups. Melanie shares honest insights about the challenges of stepping into a Chief People Officer role, including what it takes to earn trust, develop true business acumen, and move beyond the traditional boundaries of HR.

We talk openly about how people leaders can build authentic partnerships with CEOs and other executives, what it means to align work with the priorities that drive organizational success, and how to navigate the discomfort of not knowing all the answers. Melanie also discusses the importance of agency, proactive self-development, and balancing employee advocacy with commercial realities.

We also discuss:

• The backstory of Melanie’s move to Ethena and her leap from VP to CPO

• Why great HR leaders learn to speak the language of business and finance

• How to listen for what your CEO and leadership team truly care about

• Lessons on earning respect and influence as the youngest or only diverse voice at the table

• The power of asking for direct feedback, and building your own learning opportunities

• How to balance empathy for employees with business priorities

• Real talk about “bringing your whole self to work” - and when that doesn’t feel right

• Melanie’s approach to challenging conversations and dissenting opinions, including leading with kindness and curiosity

• Practical advice on finding role models, diversifying your learning sources, and staying open to being wrong

Whether you’re a first-time people leader or a seasoned executive, this episode offers honest reflections and tangible tools for deepening your impact and navigating the real challenges of C-suite HR leadership.

Melanie Naranjo: Ethena and on LinkedIn

Our goal with this podcast is simple: to help people leaders navigate the messy, complex, and deeply rewarding work of leading teams and organizations with more clarity, confidence, and community.

Whether you’re the first HR hire at a startup or an experienced executive at a company with scale, you’ll find actionable insights you can use right away.

We can’t wait to share these conversations with you.

Welcome to the journey!

Listen, learn, and connect:

🎧 Subscribe wherever you get your podcasts (Apple, Spotify, YouTube).

💡 Find show notes and bonus resources at peopleleaderaccelerator.com/podcast.

📬 Share this episode with a colleague who’s ready to level up as a people leader.

🤝 Connect with your hosts:

• Jessica Yuen: linkedin.com/in/jessicayuen | jessyuen.com

• Andrew Bartlow: linkedin.com/in/bartlow | peopleleaderaccelerator.com

In this episode, host Jess Yuen and co-founder Andrew Bartlow are joined by executive search experts Brad Warga (Heidrick & Struggles) and Ben Dewar (NU Advisory Partners) for an in-depth conversation about executive search in human resources within tech companies.

Brad and Ben share their extensive insights into hiring Chief People Officers and senior HR talent, covering changes in candidate profiles, evolving business needs, and what today’s market truly values in HR leaders.

Key Topics & Discussion Highlights:

• Meet Brad Warga and Ben Dewar, seasoned executive search professionals with unique perspectives on late-stage enterprise and early-stage venture-backed HR hiring.

• How the talent market for HR executives is evolving, especially for Chief People Officers in tech and private equity.

• The growing demand for HR leaders who combine business acumen with functional depth and how candidate requirements have shifted post-pandemic.

• Insights on how companies are tackling the AI talent war, including strategies for recruiting the elusive “$100 million AI engineer.”

• The realities behind HR job titles - Head of People, VP, Chief People Officer - and what actually matters when it comes to level and impact.

• Trends in compensation and equity for senior HR roles, how executive search firms guide clients through sticker shock, and the importance of data in negotiations.

• The rising expectation for in-office work and the impact of location requirements on the talent pool.

• Practical advice for HR professionals hoping to accelerate their careers, including where to develop the business skills that modern leaders need.

• How to get on the radar of top executive search firms, and why cultivating long-term relationships with recruiters benefits your career in the long run.

Whether you’re leading an HR function or aspiring to your first C-level role in people leadership, this episode offers practical insights for navigating the current landscape of executive HR talent.

• Brad Warga: Heidrick & Struggles and on LinkedIn

• Ben Dewar: NU Advisory Partners and on LinkedIn

Our goal with this podcast is simple: to help people leaders navigate the messy, complex, and deeply rewarding work of leading teams and organizations with more clarity, confidence, and community.

Whether you’re the first HR hire at a startup or an experienced executive at a company with scale, you’ll find actionable insights you can use right away.

We can’t wait to share these conversations with you.

Welcome to the journey!

Listen, learn, and connect:

🎧 Subscribe wherever you get your podcasts (Apple, Spotify, YouTube).

💡 Find show notes and bonus resources at peopleleaderaccelerator.com/podcast.

📬 Share this episode with a colleague who’s ready to level up as a people leader.

🤝 Connect with your hosts:

• Jessica Yuen: linkedin.com/in/jessicayuen | jessyuen.com

• Andrew Bartlow: linkedin.com/in/bartlow | peopleleaderaccelerator.com

Welcome to this episode of the People Leader Accelerator Podcast, where we sit down with industry leaders to uncover the real-life insights, strategies, and challenges that shape world-class organizations.

Our guest today is Kelli Dragovich, a seasoned Chief People Officer and Bay Area native, whose 25-year journey through Silicon Valley’s tech scene includes roles at Yahoo, GitHub, Looker, Pendo, and now, Supio.

Kelli joins us to share her honest perspective on building great cultures, making pivotal career decisions, and how to truly advance as a people leader.

We explore Kelli’s path into HR by design rather than by chance, her intentional approach to both interim and in-house executive roles, and the ways she has learned to identify organizations and leaders that offer the right fit and opportunity.

Kelli offers real-world advice for HR professionals looking to focus their growth, build valuable relationships, and drive impact in their roles.

In this conversation, we dig into:

• Kelli’s unique entry into HR and the intentional steps she took to build her career

• The reality of moving between interim, advisory, and full-time HR leadership positions

• What to look for in a CEO or founder when considering a new executive opportunity

• The “trifecta” Kelli uses to evaluate job opportunities: people, product, and competitiveness

• Concrete steps for HR professionals to grow their influence, networks, and careers

• The challenge and impact of building trust and credibility quickly in a new organization

• Kelli’s framework for onboarding successfully as a new people leader

• Key advice for getting noticed and adding value - whether you’re early in your career or at a senior level

• Why helping others is the most effective way to accelerate your profile and network in HR

• Favorite resources and practical recommendations for continuous learning and staying relevant

To access show notes and free bonus resources, visit www.PeopleLeaderAccelerator.com/podcast.

If you’re looking for actionable advice on navigating your HR career, building your peer network, and choosing the right organization for your next chapter, don’t miss this candid, practical conversation with Kelli Dragovich.

Kelli Dragovich: Supio, the HR Heretics podcast, and on LinkedIn

Our goal with this podcast is simple: to help people leaders navigate the messy, complex, and deeply rewarding work of leading teams and organizations with more clarity, confidence, and community.

Whether you’re the first HR hire at a startup or an experienced executive at a company with scale, you’ll find actionable insights you can use right away.

We can’t wait to share these conversations with you.

Welcome to the journey!

Listen, learn, and connect:

🎧 Subscribe wherever you get your podcasts (Apple, Spotify, YouTube).

💡 Find show notes and bonus resources at peopleleaderaccelerator.com/podcast.

📬 Share this episode with a colleague who’s ready to level up as a people leader.

🤝 Connect with your hosts:

• Jessica Yuen: linkedin.com/in/jessicayuen | jessyuen.com

• Andrew Bartlow: linkedin.com/in/bartlow | peopleleaderaccelerator.com

Welcome to the very first episode of The People Leader Accelerator Podcast!

We’re thrilled to finally bring you this show, a space for honest, practical conversations about what it really takes to lead people and build high-performing organizations in today’s fast-changing world.

In this opening episode, we share why we created the podcast, what you can expect from future episodes, and some of the lessons we’ve learned along the way as people leaders, advisors, and coaches.

We talk about the pivotal moment every growing company reaches, when leaders are asked to “get more strategic,” and what that really means for HR professionals looking to accelerate their careers and increase their impact.

We also discuss:

• Why business alignment is at the heart of every great HR strategy

• How to move from being reactive to truly driving business performance

• The unwritten lessons we’ve learned from working with hundreds of leaders and executives

• The real conversations that happen behind closed doors in high-growth environments

Our goal with this podcast is simple: to help people leaders navigate the messy, complex, and deeply rewarding work of leading teams and organizations with more clarity, confidence, and community.

Whether you’re the first HR hire at a startup or an experienced executive at a company with scale, you’ll find actionable insights you can use right away.

We can’t wait to share these conversations with you.

Welcome to the journey!

Listen, learn, and connect:

🎧 Subscribe wherever you get your podcasts (Apple, Spotify, YouTube).

💡 Find show notes and bonus resources at peopleleaderaccelerator.com/podcast.

📬 Share this episode with a colleague who’s ready to level up as a people leader.

🤝 Connect with your hosts:

• Jessica Yuen: linkedin.com/in/jessicayuen | jessyuen.com

• Andrew Bartlow: linkedin.com/in/bartlow | peopleleaderaccelerator.com

Welcome to another episode of the People Leader Accelerator Podcast, where we explore what it really takes to build high-performing organisations.

Our guest today is Kevin Rice, an executive coach who previously led product and engineering teams through rapid growth at companies like Airbnb.

Drawing on a background that bridges hands-on technical management and leadership coaching, Kevin now partners with heads of product, heads of engineering, and CEOs, helping leaders evolve as their organisations scale. With experience developing people processes in high-growth environments and supporting leaders through changing responsibilities, Kevin brings a unique perspective to supporting both leadership and people teams.

This episode centres on the evolving challenges faced by technical leaders, particularly as their teams expand and the demands of scale intensify. We discuss the tension between technical expertise and people management, how leaders can determine where their time and focus are most valuable, and the critical partnership between HR and technical functions as companies evolve.

Discussion highlights:

• Why technical leaders often face distinct scaling challenges as their teams become the largest in the company
• The trap of comparing leadership roles to external models rather than identifying what the company uniquely needs
• Practical frameworks for leaders to prioritise responsibilities based on position, skills, context, and passion
• How high growth in technical functions drives early development of people processes such as levelling and performance rubrics
• The value of 360 feedback for surfacing hidden or unspoken development needs
• Navigating the “brilliant but difficult” leader dynamic and the importance of coaching readiness
• Critical distinctions between coaching for growth and coaching as part of performance management
• Setting clear performance expectations as a prerequisite for successful coaching engagements
• The importance of engaging coaching proactively during major leadership transitions or team scale
• Structuring effective collaboration and information flows between HR, direct managers, and external coaches
• Measuring the ROI of executive coaching and the leverage of investing in leadership capability
• Five hidden obstacles to scaling teams, including role drift, decision bottlenecks, shared mental models, process avoidance, and tenured employee resistance

Taken together, this discussion offers a practical roadmap for people leaders working alongside technical executives in dynamic, scaling environments. The episode surfaces both the hidden pitfalls and proven tools for accelerating leadership growth, structuring effective partnerships with HR, and ensuring that coaching has a measurable and lasting impact. For those supporting technical talent or navigating rapid organisational change, these insights offer valuable guidance for developing high-performing teams and resilient leadership.

For show notes and bonus resources, visit www.PeopleLeaderAccelerator.com/podcast.

Our goal with this podcast is simple: to help people leaders navigate the messy, complex, and deeply rewarding work of leading teams and organizations with more clarity, confidence, and community.

Whether you’re the first HR hire at a startup or an experienced executive at a company with scale, you’ll find actionable insights you can use right away.

We can’t wait to share these conversations with you.

Welcome to the journey!

Listen, learn, and connect:

🎧 Subscribe wherever you get your podcasts (Apple, Spotify, YouTube).

💡 Find show notes and bonus resources at peopleleaderaccelerator.com/podcast.

📬 Share this episode with a colleague who’s ready to level up as a people leader.

🤝 Connect with your hosts:

• Jessica Yuen: linkedin.com/in/jessicayuen | jessyuen.com

• Andrew Bartlow: linkedin.com/in/bartlow | peopleleaderaccelerator.com

In this episode of the People Leader Accelerator Podcast, we welcome Brad Harris, Professor of Management and Human Resources and Associate Dean at HEC Paris.

Brad brings an exceptional blend of academic rigour and deep practical experience, having taught, researched, and consulted across several continents. As a co-author of Scaling for Success and one of the core faculty members in the People Leader Accelerator program, his perspective is especially relevant for executives shaping organisational effectiveness and people strategy.

Brad’s background bridges academic research with on-the-ground leadership, advisory, and program delivery for high-growth companies. His understanding of team dynamics, leadership development, and organisational behaviour equips him to pinpoint the real challenges people leaders encounter, including those intrinsic to scaling teams, driving alignment, and navigating executive decisions.

This episode centres on the realities of building and leading high-performing teams. The discussion dives into what leaders consistently get wrong about teamwork, the critical design elements of effective teams, and the essential (but often misunderstood) balance between clarity, empowerment, and control. Brad and the hosts, Jess Yuen and Andrew Bartlow, unpack the “messy middle” where most organisations and leaders operate and share tangible approaches for aligning people and business priorities.

Listeners will gain actionable insights into diagnosing team effectiveness, optimising goal setting for clarity and alignment, and approaching empowerment in complex environments. Brad’s advice is grounded in research but always tailored to the practical realities of leadership, offering new ways for people leaders to support executives, make better trade-offs, and accelerate their own impact.

Discussion highlights:

• Why HEC Paris is a leading business school and how global experience shapes HR and leadership practice
• The origins of Scaling for Success and the development of People Leader Accelerator
• Realities of partnership and collaboration between business and academia
• Bridging the academic-practice gap: why thoughtful, evidence-based leadership is essential and practical
• Common myths about teamwork and the overlooked importance of team design versus “feel-good” factors
• Understanding and balancing the “collaboration tax” with collaboration gains in teams
• Leadership archetypes: the “prophet” versus the “mule driver” and the dangers of extremes
• How complexity and context should determine leadership style and team decision-making
• Practical frameworks for increasing team clarity, alignment, and effectiveness
• Why effective goal setting requires meaningful trade-offs, not just standard outcomes like “increase revenue”
• The two-sided problem of empowerment and the challenges leaders face when letting go
• Strategies for HR leaders to align with CEOs and drive purposeful conversations about priorities and personal growth

This conversation offers people leaders a grounded look at what it actually takes to foster effective teams and drive organisational performance. Brad’s practical frameworks and coaching stories clarify how leaders can apply academic insights without overcomplicating their approach - and why clear alignment and the right strategic bets matter most.

For HR executives, founders, and those supporting high-growth businesses, these lessons offer actionable prompts to elevate leadership, influence strategy, and empower teams.

For show notes and bonus resources, visit www.PeopleLeaderAccelerator.com/podcast.

Our goal with this podcast is simple: to help people leaders navigate the messy, complex, and deeply rewarding work of leading teams and organizations with more clarity, confidence, and community.

Whether you’re the first HR hire at a startup or an experienced executive at a company with scale, you’ll find actionable insights you can use right away.

We can’t wait to share these conversations with you.

Welcome to the journey!

Listen, learn, and connect:

🎧 Subscribe wherever you get your podcasts (Apple, Spotify, YouTube).

💡 Find show notes and bonus resources at peopleleaderaccelerator.com/podcast.

📬 Share this episode with a colleague who’s ready to level up as a people leader.

🤝 Connect with your hosts:

• Jessica Yuen: linkedin.com/in/jessicayuen | jessyuen.com

• Andrew Bartlow: linkedin.com/in/bartlow | peopleleaderaccelerator.com

Welcome to another episode of the People Leader Accelerator Podcast.

Our guest today is Adam Weber, a tech founder, executive coach, and former Chief People Officer, who joins us for a thoughtful conversation on executive development, building high-performing teams, and navigating the emotional demands of people leadership. Adam’s career journey spans founding and selling tech startups, leading culture transformation at 15Five as Chief Evangelist, and today, guiding executives and founders through the complexities of leadership and team dynamics.

In this episode, Adam discusses his transition from entrepreneur to coach, the patterns he’s observed across high-growth organizations, and practical strategies for executives aiming to scale their impact while maintaining personal well-being. Drawing on rich experience with executive teams, Adam breaks down the leadership lessons featured in his recent ebook and shares actionable advice for people leaders at every stage.

We discuss:

• Adam’s early career explorations, path to tech entrepreneurship, and how coaching transformed his approach to leadership

• The common challenges faced by chief people officers and the journey from being a fixer to an organizational architect

• Why developing a clear personal and professional vision is critical for executives and how Adam facilitates this process for his clients

• Tactics for context switching and staying at the right altitude as a leader, especially in high-pressure executive team environments

• The importance of psychological safety and trust on executive teams, and how Adam structures coaching sessions to build these foundations

• Setting boundaries and managing the emotional labor that comes with people leadership roles

• How to help executives track their energy, prevent burnout, and create sustainable success

• The evolving role of HR in shaping culture, leveraging management, and preparing organizations for the future of work

• Adam's recommendations on high-leverage resources and cultivating a leadership mantra for resilience and growth

This episode offers clear-eyed perspective on the realities and rewards of senior people leadership, with practical frameworks to help you support your teams and yourself. If you’re navigating executive team dynamics, culture building, or looking to deepen your capacity as a leader, you’ll find valuable takeaways in our conversation with Adam.

For show notes and bonus resources, visit www.PeopleLeaderAccelerator.com/podcast.

Our goal with this podcast is simple: to help people leaders navigate the messy, complex, and deeply rewarding work of leading teams and organizations with more clarity, confidence, and community.

Whether you’re the first HR hire at a startup or an experienced executive at a company with scale, you’ll find actionable insights you can use right away.

We can’t wait to share these conversations with you.

Welcome to the journey!

Listen, learn, and connect:

🎧 Subscribe wherever you get your podcasts (Apple, Spotify, YouTube).

💡 Find show notes and bonus resources at peopleleaderaccelerator.com/podcast.

📬 Share this episode with a colleague who’s ready to level up as a people leader.

🤝 Connect with your hosts:

• Jessica Yuen: linkedin.com/in/jessicayuen | jessyuen.com

• Andrew Bartlow: linkedin.com/in/bartlow | peopleleaderaccelerator.com

Our guest today is Keshar Sheridan, a seasoned people leader with deep experience in the startup and health tech space. Keshar has spent more than a decade building HR foundations at organizations ranging from early-stage startups to high-growth companies like Hired, Oscar Health, Galileo, Headway, Growth Therapy, and now Tulea Health, where she serves as the first and only people leader at an 11-person team.

In this episode, we dive into the practical realities of being a team of one, what it means to join and scale an HR function at the foundational stage, and how to evaluate companies and CEOs when considering your next leadership opportunity. Jess Yuen and Andrew Bartlow explore with Keshar how early people leaders can set themselves and their organizations up for long-term success, and what it takes to create leverage, influence culture, and build strong leadership relationships from day one.

We discuss:

• What HR looks like at a pre-20-person startup, including balancing tactical operations with strategic planning

• How to prioritize foundational people programs during the earliest stages of company growth

• The signals CEOs give when they value the people function, and why bringing in HR early matters

• Frameworks for deciding when and why to hire your first people leader, covering variables like growth rate, cultural aspirations, and industry context

• How to assess CEO and organizational fit in the interview process, including why and how to speak with board members or investors

• Key questions to ask about business models, go-to-market plans, and long-term company goals—even when answers are still forming

• The importance of mentorship, how to cultivate mentoring relationships organically, and why maintenance matters

• Strategies for developing trust and alignment with founder-CEOs, especially when feedback and structure may be lacking

• Why documentation matters as a solo HR leader, and how to build leverage for yourself and future team members

• Practical productivity tools Keshar uses to stay effective and efficient as a team of one

This conversation is full of actionable insights for people leaders at early-stage companies, or anyone considering how to assess fit and make an impact as the first HR hire. Keshar shares concrete advice on building relationships, structuring your work, and trusting your own expertise—even when the playbook is still being written.

For show notes and bonus resources, visit www.PeopleLeaderAccelerator.com/podcast.

Our goal with this podcast is simple: to help people leaders navigate the messy, complex, and deeply rewarding work of leading teams and organizations with more clarity, confidence, and community.

Whether you’re the first HR hire at a startup or an experienced executive at a company with scale, you’ll find actionable insights you can use right away.

We can’t wait to share these conversations with you.

Welcome to the journey!

Listen, learn, and connect:

🎧 Subscribe wherever you get your podcasts (Apple, Spotify, YouTube).

💡 Find show notes and bonus resources at peopleleaderaccelerator.com/podcast.

📬 Share this episode with a colleague who’s ready to level up as a people leader.

🤝 Connect with your hosts:

• Jessica Yuen: linkedin.com/in/jessicayuen | jessyuen.com

• Andrew Bartlow: linkedin.com/in/bartlow | peopleleaderaccelerator.com

Our guest today is Robin P. Zander, founder of Zander Media, entrepreneur, and long-time contributor to the People Leader Accelerator’s early story and brand. With a diverse background ranging from the arts and business ownership to organizational storytelling, Robin Zander brings a unique perspective on the intersection of narrative, leadership, and HR.

In this episode, we explore how storytelling can shape organizational alignment, drive engagement, and elevate the business impact of people leaders. Together with Andrew Bartlow and Jess Yuen, Robin discusses how leaders can develop authentic stories that foster clarity, build coalitions, and help teams move forward - while remaining true to their core values and aspirations.

We discuss:

• Robin’s eclectic career path, from acrobat and café owner to media agency founder

• What makes a story memorable and effective, including practical storytelling frameworks such as the four-part structure

• The importance of authenticity and when to reveal personal vulnerability as a leader

• How people leaders can collaborate with marketing to shape employer brand messaging that is both true and aspirational

• Why HR storytelling needs to repel and attract - moving away from corporate “vanilla” to foster real connections

• The impact of AI-generated content on organizational storytelling and what still makes stories truly resonate in a human way

• Practical approaches for HR leaders to build stronger narratives and practice storytelling in everyday settings

• Lessons learned from setbacks, team building, and the ongoing challenges of leadership at any scale

This episode offers concrete tips and relatable examples for people leaders looking to embed storytelling into daily leadership practice, align their teams around shared purpose, and drive culture in a way that endures through change. Robin Zander’s experience underscores the value of practicing storytelling, owning your narrative, and using story as a strategic tool.

For show notes and bonus resources, visit www.PeopleLeaderAccelerator.com/podcast.

Our goal with this podcast is simple: to help people leaders navigate the messy, complex, and deeply rewarding work of leading teams and organizations with more clarity, confidence, and community.

Whether you’re the first HR hire at a startup or an experienced executive at a company with scale, you’ll find actionable insights you can use right away.

We can’t wait to share these conversations with you.

Welcome to the journey!

Listen, learn, and connect:

🎧 Subscribe wherever you get your podcasts (Apple, Spotify, YouTube).

💡 Find show notes and bonus resources at peopleleaderaccelerator.com/podcast.

📬 Share this episode with a colleague who’s ready to level up as a people leader.

🤝 Connect with your hosts:

• Jessica Yuen: linkedin.com/in/jessicayuen | jessyuen.com

• Andrew Bartlow: linkedin.com/in/bartlow | peopleleaderaccelerator.com

Our guest today is Ryanmae McAvoy-Pepin, Vice President of People Operations at Blackthorn, a SaaS company specializing in Salesforce-native event management software.

Ryanmae has built a career that crosses industries from veterinary practices to the ski slopes, before settling into the tech sector, where she’s now recognized for her transparency, candor, and practical approach to HR leadership.

In this episode, we dig into Ryanmae’s nontraditional career arc, her philosophy on executive presence, and how she leverages authenticity to drive effective people programs at scale.

We explore how Ryanmae’s drive to keep learning has shaped her career moves, why she initially turned down her recent promotion, and what it takes to build real trust with executive teams and individual employees.

We also discuss how she navigates hard trade-offs around benefits, organizational change, and her commitment to keeping HR genuinely human - especially in high-growth startup environments.

We discuss:

• Ryanmae’s path from veterinary practice management and admin work to SaaS people leader
• How the People Leader Accelerator and Startup Experts communities supported key career transitions
• The value of transparency, healthy debate, and “hot takes” in HR and executive conversations
• Strategies for communicating across functions and building deep trust with a CEO and executive peers
• Lessons learned from saying “no” to a promotion, battling imposter syndrome, and eventually stepping into top HR leadership
• Practical approaches for understanding your business, learning from every function, and driving influence as a strategic people leader
• Humanizing HR: how to support employees through difficult moments like healthcare changes, layoffs, and personal challenges
• Why quitting can be a positive sign of agency and mutual respect between employees and organizations
• Ryanmae’s favorite HR learning resources, including Smart Brevity and the power of community networks

This episode is filled with candid reflections, practical advice, and actionable takeaways for people leaders in startups and growing organizations. If you’re curious about accelerating your own HR career, advocating for yourself, or building relationships that drive impact, you’ll find real-world lessons you can use right away.

For show notes and bonus resources, visit www.PeopleLeaderAccelerator.com/podcast.

Our goal with this podcast is simple: to help people leaders navigate the messy, complex, and deeply rewarding work of leading teams and organizations with more clarity, confidence, and community.

Whether you’re the first HR hire at a startup or an experienced executive at a company with scale, you’ll find actionable insights you can use right away.

We can’t wait to share these conversations with you.

Welcome to the journey!

Listen, learn, and connect:

🎧 Subscribe wherever you get your podcasts (Apple, Spotify, YouTube).

💡 Find show notes and bonus resources at peopleleaderaccelerator.com/podcast.

📬 Share this episode with a colleague who’s ready to level up as a people leader.

🤝 Connect with your hosts:

• Jessica Yuen: linkedin.com/in/jessicayuen | jessyuen.com

• Andrew Bartlow: linkedin.com/in/bartlow | peopleleaderaccelerator.com

Welcome to another episode of the People Leader Accelerator Podcast.

Our guest today is Eugene Lee, who joins us for an insightful conversation on investing in HR technology, the evolving responsibilities of people leaders, and how AI is transforming organizations. Eugene’s background spans M&A investment banking, operational leadership at Yahoo, Google, and Pinterest, and his current work as a venture investor at OMERS, focusing deeply on early-stage enterprise and HR tech companies.

In this episode, Eugene shares his perspective as both an operator and investor. We explore the intersection of people strategy and business impact, what investors look for in high-growth companies, and how today’s HR leaders can increase their influence by embracing innovation, especially AI.

We discuss:

• What makes HR tech an attractive and evolving investment area

• The shift from digitization to AI-enabled judgment and automation in HR systems

• How people leaders are moving into roles such as AI transformation officers

• The impact of AI on upskilling, workforce productivity, and company culture

• What HR leaders can expect from board interactions at venture-backed companies

• Key outcomes and metrics that matter to investors at Series A, B, and C stages

• Why building business acumen and data fluency increases strategic impact for people leaders

• The similarities between business operations and people leadership in cross-functional environments

• Advice on networking and building AI literacy to accelerate your HR career

This episode offers practical insights for people leaders at all stages, especially those in tech or VC-backed companies looking to advance their understanding of the investment landscape, shape company culture, and become true strategic partners to their executive teams.

For show notes and bonus resources, visit www.PeopleLeaderAccelerator.com/podcast.

Our goal with this podcast is simple: to help people leaders navigate the messy, complex, and deeply rewarding work of leading teams and organizations with more clarity, confidence, and community.

Whether you’re the first HR hire at a startup or an experienced executive at a company with scale, you’ll find actionable insights you can use right away.

We can’t wait to share these conversations with you.

Welcome to the journey!

Listen, learn, and connect:

🎧 Subscribe wherever you get your podcasts (Apple, Spotify, YouTube).

💡 Find show notes and bonus resources at peopleleaderaccelerator.com/podcast.

📬 Share this episode with a colleague who’s ready to level up as a people leader.

🤝 Connect with your hosts:

• Jessica Yuen: linkedin.com/in/jessicayuen | jessyuen.com

• Andrew Bartlow: linkedin.com/in/bartlow | peopleleaderaccelerator.com

Welcome to another episode of the People Leader Accelerator Podcast.

Our guest today is Kate Mason, executive communications coach and author of the fascinating new book, Powerfully Likable.

Kate’s career has spanned global tech companies and high-stakes startup environments, supporting leaders to communicate with impact. She brings together expertise in communications, coaching, and competitive debate to help professionals navigate the delicate balance of authority and warmth required to lead effectively.

In this episode, we dig into the central question so many HR and people leaders face: Do I need to choose between being powerful or likable to be effective in my role?

Drawing from her book, career experiences, and coaching practice, Kate reveals how we can transcend this false binary, communicate more authentically, and deploy strategic warmth without sacrificing authority.

We discuss:

• Kate’s unique journey from world champion debater and big tech communications leader to executive coach
• The genesis and message of Powerfully Likable: Why “power versus likability” is a false choice for leaders
• How cultural context and company norms shape the way we communicate—including what it means to show warmth, when to use smiles strategically, and ways to ask directly without apologizing
• Practical techniques for HR professionals to deliver decisions, hold authority, and maintain relational currency
• Patterns of deference and the pitfalls of downplaying expertise to seek likability
• The impact of likability in the era of AI, remote work, and polarizing politics
• Leveraging curiosity and calm as powerful tools for navigating difficult conversations and building influence
• How to handle fight, flight, freeze, and fawn responses in stressful workplace dynamics
• Scripts, strategies, and mindset shifts for showing up with confidence—especially in environments where power imbalances exist
• Kate’s top recommended resources for learning and honing your communications skills

For those looking to strengthen their leadership presence and maximize impact within their organizations, Kate’s insights are both actionable and thought-provoking.

For show notes and bonus resources, visit www.PeopleLeaderAccelerator.com/podcast.

Our goal with this podcast is simple: to help people leaders navigate the messy, complex, and deeply rewarding work of leading teams and organizations with more clarity, confidence, and community.

Whether you’re the first HR hire at a startup or an experienced executive at a company with scale, you’ll find actionable insights you can use right away.

We can’t wait to share these conversations with you.

Welcome to the journey!

Listen, learn, and connect:

🎧 Subscribe wherever you get your podcasts (Apple, Spotify, YouTube).

💡 Find show notes and bonus resources at peopleleaderaccelerator.com/podcast.

📬 Share this episode with a colleague who’s ready to level up as a people leader.

🤝 Connect with your hosts:

• Jessica Yuen: linkedin.com/in/jessicayuen | jessyuen.com

• Andrew Bartlow: linkedin.com/in/bartlow | peopleleaderaccelerator.com

Welcome to another episode of the People Leader Accelerator Podcast.

Our guest today is Debbie Ko, a US-born cultural psychologist now based in Singapore, whose career journey has traversed academia and tech in global environments. Debbie’s expertise bridges social psychology, cultural dynamics, and real-world application for business and people leaders. She publishes the popular blog, PsykoBabble, where she explores behavioral science in organizations and the psychological roots of workplace challenges.

As Senior Research Manager, APAC and SEA Consumer and Marketing Insights at Google, Debbie directs research strategy for the SEA region. Her job is to take complex human data and turn it into a clear path forward.

In this episode, we sit down with Debbie to explore culture beyond HR and the practical implications of cultural psychology when working across geographies, generations, and organizational boundaries. We dive into frameworks for understanding team friction, the evolving “psychological contract” between employers and employees, and how technology, especially AI, is impacting communication, feedback, and team trust.

We discuss:

• What cultural psychology is and why it matters for leaders in global and multi-cultural organizations

• Erin Meyer’s Culture Map framework and how workshops help teams identify and resolve hidden sources of friction

• Real examples of culture clashes, from grading participation in American classrooms to meeting silence in East Asian settings

• The impact of high-context versus low-context cultures on communication styles, conflict, and trust-building - especially over video and chat

• How seemingly small details (like punctuality or emojis) can drive misunderstanding, misinterpretation, and even offense in cross-cultural teams

• The power and challenges of surfacing and aligning on “psychological contracts” - the unwritten expectations that shape loyalty, productivity, and burnout

• Organizational culture through the lens of mergers, acquisitions, and generational shifts, and the role of clear, explicit agreements

• Surprising research on AI adoption, including why many employees accept feedback more easily from machines than humans, and how prompt psychology shapes AI responses

• Best practices for encouraging AI adoption and responsible usage within distributed teams

• Actionable advice on clarifying expectations, building trust, and leading diverse teams with empathy and cultural curiosity

This episode is packed with grounded insights for anyone involved in people leadership, especially those working with distributed, cross-functional, or multi-cultural teams.

Debbie’s stories and frameworks offer practical strategies for building more resilient, connected, and effective organizations.

For show notes and bonus resources, visit www.PeopleLeaderAccelerator.com/podcast.

Our goal with this podcast is simple: to help people leaders navigate the messy, complex, and deeply rewarding work of leading teams and organizations with more clarity, confidence, and community.

Whether you’re the first HR hire at a startup or an experienced executive at a company with scale, you’ll find actionable insights you can use right away.

We can’t wait to share these conversations with you.

Welcome to the journey!

Listen, learn, and connect:

🎧 Subscribe wherever you get your podcasts (Apple, Spotify, YouTube).

💡 Find show notes and bonus resources at peopleleaderaccelerator.com/podcast.

📬 Share this episode with a colleague who’s ready to level up as a people leader.

🤝 Connect with your hosts:

• Jessica Yuen: linkedin.com/in/jessicayuen | jessyuen.com

• Andrew Bartlow: linkedin.com/in/bartlow | peopleleaderaccelerator.com

Welcome to another episode of the People Leader Accelerator Podcast.

Our guest today is Daniel Illes, who joined us for an in-depth discussion on career transitions, scaling high-growth organizations, and the realities of global people leadership. Daniel’s journey has taken him from New York-qualified lawyer to startup operator, people leader, and currently, a Venture Capital operator at Atomico, supporting founders across Europe on all things people, culture, and leadership.

In this episode, Daniel shares candid reflections on working at companies like Lyft, WeWork, and Vinted - each with their own explosive growth stories and operational challenges. We explore his approach to navigating major career pivots, what it takes to build and lead teams at scale, and how deep business acumen can help people leaders become true strategic partners.

We discuss:

• Daniel’s unique career path through law, operations, HR, and venture capital
• Lessons from scaling Lyft, WeWork, and Vinted through periods of rapid growth
• Cultural complexity in European organizations and how that shapes leadership and HR programs
• Building global benefit policies, including approaches to parental leave across multiple countries
• What changes when leading small teams versus large, cross-functional HR organizations
• The value of first principles thinking versus “best practices” and when to challenge playbooks
• How structured learning and formal business education can elevate a career in HR
• Practical advice for HR leaders looking to become more AI-curious and drive innovation

This conversation is filled with insights for those navigating high-growth environments, making big career moves, or looking for ways to deepen their impact as people leaders - especially across borders and cultures. Daniel’s experience offers concrete takeaways on how empathy, business fluency, and adaptability help people leaders thrive.

For show notes and bonus resources, visit www.PeopleLeaderAccelerator.com/podcast.

Our goal with this podcast is simple: to help people leaders navigate the messy, complex, and deeply rewarding work of leading teams and organizations with more clarity, confidence, and community.

Whether you’re the first HR hire at a startup or an experienced executive at a company with scale, you’ll find actionable insights you can use right away.

We can’t wait to share these conversations with you.

Welcome to the journey!

Listen, learn, and connect:

🎧 Subscribe wherever you get your podcasts (Apple, Spotify, YouTube).

💡 Find show notes and bonus resources at peopleleaderaccelerator.com/podcast.

📬 Share this episode with a colleague who’s ready to level up as a people leader.

🤝 Connect with your hosts:

• Jessica Yuen: linkedin.com/in/jessicayuen | jessyuen.com

• Andrew Bartlow: linkedin.com/in/bartlow | peopleleaderaccelerator.com

Welcome to another episode of the People Leader Accelerator Podcast.

Our guest today is Jamie Thorpe, SVP, People at Pursuit, joining hosts Jess Yuen and Andrew Bartlow for a candid conversation about leading people functions in hospitality and attraction-based organizations. Jamie brings over twelve years of HR experience covering restaurant operations, corporate HR, and high-growth environments, with prior roles at Sonic Drive-In, Taco Bueno, and Alamo Drafthouse.

In this episode, we explore Jamie’s career path from frontline operations to HR leadership, including lessons learned about authenticity, vulnerability, and strategic partnership at the executive level. Jamie shares insights into the distinctive challenges and opportunities of supporting hourly workforces and transitioning organizations through acquisitions and growth.

We discuss:

• The unique transition from operations to HR and how persistence and networking shaped Jamie’s career trajectory

• How to approach a new people leadership role with effective assessment, relationship-building, and transformation

• Comparing public company HR leadership with private equity and privately held organizations

• The importance of longer-term strategic planning, carving out “thinking time,” and involving peers in working sessions

• Hourly workforce realities - compensation, housing, training access, and employee experience

• The practical impacts of technology, AI adoption, and external economic shifts on HR strategy

• The value of learning from mentors, formal programs, and targeted professional development

• Jamie’s “spicy take” on performance reviews and why she believes impact comes from building manager capability rather than process alone

Whether you work with hourly teams or exempt staff, lead in hospitality or tech, or are considering your next step in people operations, you’ll find Jamie’s reflections and tactical advice immediately relevant.

For show notes and bonus resources, visit www.PeopleLeaderAccelerator.com/podcast.

Our goal with this podcast is simple: to help people leaders navigate the messy, complex, and deeply rewarding work of leading teams and organizations with more clarity, confidence, and community.

Whether you’re the first HR hire at a startup or an experienced executive at a company with scale, you’ll find actionable insights you can use right away.

We can’t wait to share these conversations with you.

Welcome to the journey!

Listen, learn, and connect:

🎧 Subscribe wherever you get your podcasts (Apple, Spotify, YouTube).

💡 Find show notes and bonus resources at peopleleaderaccelerator.com/podcast.

📬 Share this episode with a colleague who’s ready to level up as a people leader.

🤝 Connect with your hosts:

• Jessica Yuen: linkedin.com/in/jessicayuen | jessyuen.com

• Andrew Bartlow: linkedin.com/in/bartlow | peopleleaderaccelerator.com

Welcome to another episode of the People Leader Accelerator Podcast.

Our guest today is Q Hamirani, a seasoned Chief People Officer whose unconventional career journey - from electrical engineering and finance to leading HR at companies like Airbnb and High Level - has influenced how he thinks about building effective people teams and driving business outcomes. Hosted by executive coach Jess Yuen and PLA co-founder Andrew Bartlow, we dig into practical, honest conversations about what it takes to lead modern organizations and drive impact at scale.

In this episode, Q shares his pathway from engineering and FP&A into people leadership, including the pivotal role that understanding finance, business strategy, and human-centered problem solving has played in his approach as a people leader. We explore how people leaders can work more closely with CFOs and cross-functional teams, translating HR initiatives into the language of business value.

Q also takes us inside his hands-on experimentation with AI tools and describes tangible ways his team has used automation to enable growth, streamline HR, and unlock new organizational capacity.

We also discuss:

• How early career experiences in finance and FP&A can give HR leaders a business edge

• Why translating people programs into the language of business outcomes matters

• Approaches for building trust and credibility with senior leaders across disciplines

• Practical examples of using AI to automate compensation planning and drive communication at scale

• How AI can break down traditional HR silos and change the way teams are structured

• The potential impact of AI on the future of HR and business support functions

• What it looks like to move from managing metrics to enabling business success

• How to cultivate curiosity and cross-functional agility as a modern people leader

Links: 

LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/hamirani

Website: www.hamirani.com 

Whether you’re in your first HR role or leading people at a fast-growing company, this conversation is filled with actionable insights on bridging the gap between people and business, scaling impact with technology, and thinking ahead in a changing world.

For show notes and bonus resources, visit www.PeopleLeaderAccelerator.com/podcast.

Our goal with this podcast is simple: to help people leaders navigate the messy, complex, and deeply rewarding work of leading teams and organizations with more clarity, confidence, and community.

Whether you’re the first HR hire at a startup or an experienced executive at a company with scale, you’ll find actionable insights you can use right away.

We can’t wait to share these conversations with you.

Welcome to the journey!

Listen, learn, and connect:

🎧 Subscribe wherever you get your podcasts (Apple, Spotify, YouTube).

💡 Find show notes and bonus resources at peopleleaderaccelerator.com/podcast.

📬 Share this episode with a colleague who’s ready to level up as a people leader.

🤝 Connect with your hosts:

• Jessica Yuen: linkedin.com/in/jessicayuen | jessyuen.com

• Andrew Bartlow: linkedin.com/in/bartlow | peopleleaderaccelerator.com

Welcome to the People Leader Accelerator Podcast, the show where we dive into the realities of building effective organisations and accelerating the careers of people leaders.

Our guest today is Stephen Huerta, co-founder of The Modern People Leader Podcast, founder of Huertonomics, and an experienced HR entrepreneur. With a career spanning HR consulting, corporate roles at Goldman Sachs, and multiple ventures in HR tech and media, Stephen brings a seasoned perspective about both the operational and strategic sides of people leadership. His work as a podcaster and advisor has connected him with hundreds of leaders across startups, scaling companies, and enterprise organisations, making him uniquely positioned to comment on the evolving landscape of HR, leadership, and organisational culture.

In this conversation, we explore how HR leaders can expand their impact, adapt to shifting trends in people strategy, and navigate the challenges of building meaningful community - both within organisations and across the wider HR ecosystem. We discuss the practicalities of career development, entrepreneurship in HR, and why community-driven approaches are reshaping how leaders learn, build networks, and make decisions.

Listeners will gain actionable insights on advancing their own leadership careers, building engaging workplace cultures, and responding strategically to new challenges such as AI adoption and shifting stakeholder expectations. Stephen’s candid reflections offer guidance for people leaders looking to grow their network, refine their skills, and exert greater influence inside their organisations.

Discussion highlights:

• The accidental career path into HR - and why curiosity drives lasting impact
• Lessons learnt from corporate HR and entrepreneurial ventures in services, SaaS, and media
• The origin story of The Modern People Leader podcast and its evolution from a side project to a thriving community
• Why communication and PR skills are increasingly essential for HR executives
• Observations on how remote-first and AI-forward companies are shaping new operating models for people functions
• How HR leaders can synthesise market trends and adapt to evolving organisational needs
• The importance of intentional event design in fostering meaningful professional connections
• What makes Modern People Leader live events distinct from traditional HR conferences
• Strategic advice for HR tech founders on go-to-market challenges, including the critical role of peer communities
• How vendor outreach has shifted - with buying decisions now driven by trusted HR networks rather than cold calls
• Making tech stack decisions: frameworks for assessing buy, build, borrow, and bot options
• Practical tips on upskilling, reskilling, and building a network for career acceleration

This episode offers a grounded look at the realities of navigating an HR career, expanding your influence, and adapting to new forms of organisational and community leadership. Stephen’s experience highlights both the power of network and the urgency of embracing new skills in today’s environment. For senior HR leaders and executives, the discussion provides a roadmap for cultivating professional connections, making strategic decisions, and investing in your own career growth.

For show notes and bonus resources, visit www.PeopleLeaderAccelerator.com/podcast.

Our goal with this podcast is simple: to help people leaders navigate the messy, complex, and deeply rewarding work of leading teams and organizations with more clarity, confidence, and community.

Whether you’re the first HR hire at a startup or an experienced executive at a company with scale, you’ll find actionable insights you can use right away.

We can’t wait to share these conversations with you.

Welcome to the journey!

Listen, learn, and connect:

🎧 Subscribe wherever you get your podcasts (Apple, Spotify, YouTube).

💡 Find show notes and bonus resources at peopleleaderaccelerator.com/podcast.

📬 Share this episode with a colleague who’s ready to level up as a people leader.

🤝 Connect with your hosts:

• Jessica Yuen: linkedin.com/in/jessicayuen | jessyuen.com

• Andrew Bartlow: linkedin.com/in/bartlow | peopleleaderaccelerator.com

Welcome to this episode of the People Leader Accelerator Podcast, where we sit down with industry leaders to uncover the real-life insights, strategies, and challenges that shape world-class organizations.

Our guest today is Luke Beseda, Talent Partner at Lightspeed Venture Partners, returning for a timely discussion about the annual Lightspeed People Trends Report.

With nearly 170 venture-backed companies participating, this year’s survey delivers practical insights into how AI, hiring, and workplace productivity are transforming the landscape for people leaders and founders alike.

We explore:

• How the adoption of AI tools is measurably boosting productivity across both technical and non-technical teams

• The evolving role of AI proficiency in technical hiring, and how only a small percentage of startups currently mandate it

• The impact of AI on workforce planning, recruiting, and talent acquisition, including the shift toward using AI for candidate sourcing and operational processes

• Challenges in candidate assessment, from deepfakes to the growing need for in-person interviews at remote organizations

• Trends in job displacement, especially for junior roles, and what this means for the next generation of talent

• Changes in attrition patterns—why non-regrettable (managed) departures are outpacing voluntary exits in growth-stage tech companies

• The latest numbers on merit budgets, how compensation decisions are being made amid a focus on efficiency, and why most companies are standardizing increases across teams

Throughout the conversation, Luke Besada shares his team’s practical takeaways, including the importance of hands-on AI experimentation for HR professionals and concrete steps people leaders can take to adapt to these shifts.

If you’re curious about how real-world companies are using data and new tools to navigate headcount decisions, drive performance, and future-proof talent strategies, you’ll find actionable insights you can use right away.

For show notes and bonus resources, visit www.PeopleLeaderAccelerator.com/podcast.

Our goal with this podcast is simple: to help people leaders navigate the messy, complex, and deeply rewarding work of leading teams and organizations with more clarity, confidence, and community.

Whether you’re the first HR hire at a startup or an experienced executive at a company with scale, you’ll find actionable insights you can use right away.

We can’t wait to share these conversations with you.

Welcome to the journey!

Listen, learn, and connect:

🎧 Subscribe wherever you get your podcasts (Apple, Spotify, YouTube).

💡 Find show notes and bonus resources at peopleleaderaccelerator.com/podcast.

📬 Share this episode with a colleague who’s ready to level up as a people leader.

🤝 Connect with your hosts:

• Jessica Yuen: linkedin.com/in/jessicayuen | jessyuen.com

• Andrew Bartlow: linkedin.com/in/bartlow | peopleleaderaccelerator.com

Welcome to another episode of the People Leader Accelerator Podcast, where we get practical about leadership, culture, and building organizations that work.

Our guest today is Marie Szuts: executive coach, consultant, and co-director of the People Leader Accelerator. Marie brings a unique, multifaceted background, including early career experience in food journalism, entrepreneurship in education technology, and transformative leadership roles at high-growth startups like Figma.

Marie shares her career journey, lessons learned from leading through hypergrowth, and insights on what it means to carve a non-linear path in people leadership.

In this conversation, we explore the real-world challenges of scaling a company, the human side of working alongside founder CEOs, and the realities of moving into executive coaching and consulting. Marie Szuts also opens up about learning to experiment with new career directions, the role creativity plays in leadership, and how she now works with leaders facing major transitions.

We discuss:

• The winding path from editorial work and medieval history to people leadership roles

• What it’s like to join Figma at employee #48 and navigate 10x organizational growth

• Building trust and influence with first-time founder CEOs and the lessons learned along the way

• Strategies for deciding what to focus on during periods of rapid change and organizational chaos

• Balancing ambition, rest, and the realities of personal sustainability as a leader

• The transition from in-house HR roles to executive coaching and consulting, and the challenges of building a portfolio career

• Honest advice for HR professionals considering the leap to consulting

• Why being a “colander, not a sponge” is key for people leaders

• Practical tactics for experimenting with career transitions while maintaining financial and personal well-being

If you’re thinking about how to accelerate your career, embrace new challenges, or explore coaching and consulting, this conversation offers clear-eyed, actionable perspectives from a leader who’s walked the path.

For show notes, bonus resources, and more, visit www.PeopleLeaderAccelerator.com/podcast.

Our goal with this podcast is simple: to help people leaders navigate the messy, complex, and deeply rewarding work of leading teams and organizations with more clarity, confidence, and community.

Whether you’re the first HR hire at a startup or an experienced executive at a company with scale, you’ll find actionable insights you can use right away.

We can’t wait to share these conversations with you.

Welcome to the journey!

Listen, learn, and connect:

🎧 Subscribe wherever you get your podcasts (Apple, Spotify, YouTube).

💡 Find show notes and bonus resources at peopleleaderaccelerator.com/podcast.

📬 Share this episode with a colleague who’s ready to level up as a people leader.

🤝 Connect with your hosts:

• Jessica Yuen: linkedin.com/in/jessicayuen | jessyuen.com

• Andrew Bartlow: linkedin.com/in/bartlow | peopleleaderaccelerator.com

Welcome to this episode of the People Leader Accelerator Podcast, where we sit down with industry leaders to uncover the real-life insights, strategies, and challenges that shape world-class organizations.

Our guest today is Luke Beseda, longtime Talent Partner at Lightspeed Venture Partners, joining hosts Jess Yuen and Andrew Bartlow for an in-depth conversation about the evolving world of venture capital, the changing expectations of talent partners, and how HR professionals can best navigate their relationships with investors.

In this episode, we explore the inner workings of VC platform and talent teams, lift the curtain on how these roles add value to both the firm and its portfolio, and share practical advice for people leaders in venture-backed environments. Luke offers candid insights from more than a decade at Lightspeed, sharing what’s changed and what remains constant in supporting founders and organizations through rapid growth and change.

We discuss:

• How the role of the venture talent partner has evolved and what their work looks like day to day

• The unique challenges (and opportunities) of supporting hundreds of portfolio companies at once

• What HR and talent leaders should know about working effectively with their VC’s platform team

• How platform teams measure impact and success within a venture firm

• The real story behind “carry” and how compensation works for operating partners in VC

• Practical guidance for those interested in breaking into a talent partner or platform role

• The importance of internal influence, storytelling, and proactivity in both operational and advisory roles

• Why understanding your business’s full context is critical for people leaders

• Lessons from running founder and CEO development programs within a venture portfolio

• The value of peer networks and curiosity for ongoing HR and leadership development

Whether you’re thinking about a career on the “other side of the table” or just want to be savvier in working with your investors, you’ll find plenty of actionable advice and clear-eyed perspective in this episode.

For show notes and bonus resources, visit www.PeopleLeaderAccelerator.com/podcast.

Our goal with this podcast is simple: to help people leaders navigate the messy, complex, and deeply rewarding work of leading teams and organizations with more clarity, confidence, and community.

Whether you’re the first HR hire at a startup or an experienced executive at a company with scale, you’ll find actionable insights you can use right away.

We can’t wait to share these conversations with you.

Welcome to the journey!

Listen, learn, and connect:

🎧 Subscribe wherever you get your podcasts (Apple, Spotify, YouTube).

💡 Find show notes and bonus resources at peopleleaderaccelerator.com/podcast.

📬 Share this episode with a colleague who’s ready to level up as a people leader.

🤝 Connect with your hosts:

• Jessica Yuen: linkedin.com/in/jessicayuen | jessyuen.com

• Andrew Bartlow: linkedin.com/in/bartlow | peopleleaderaccelerator.com

Welcome to this episode of the People Leader Accelerator Podcast, where we sit down with industry leaders to uncover the real-life insights, strategies, and challenges that shape world-class organizations.

Our guest today is Michelle Wagner, a seasoned executive and current Talent Partner at Playground Global. Hosted by executive coach Jess Yuen and People Leader Accelerator co-founder Andrew Bartlow, this episode takes us through Michelle’s remarkable career journey, as she reflects on her path from accidental HR leader to CEO, and now to her unique role working with founders and early-stage companies in venture capital.

We dig into pivotal moments that shaped Michelle’s approach to leadership and the people function, including her transition to CEO during a time of crisis and her insights from supporting deep-tech startups. Michelle openly shares the lessons she’s learned about navigating ambiguity, building strategic partnerships, and developing the confidence to take on new challenges—often before feeling fully ready.

We also explore:

• The story behind creative benefits like house cleaning and how listening to others sparks new policy ideas
• What it’s really like to be a Talent Partner in a VC firm, and how founders and HR leaders can effectively leverage this relationship
• Strategies for building trust and clarity as a support partner to both CEOs and People leaders
• Lessons Michelle took from her CEO experience, especially around managing board relationships and leading through uncertainty
• Her approach to identifying and amplifying the strengths of others, and why context matters in developing talent
• How curiosity and a passion for learning new industries has guided Michelle’s career shifts
• Advice for mid-career HR professionals on accelerating growth, taking initiative, and seeking out challenges

Whether you’re navigating your own leadership pivot, interested in the intersection of people, business, and venture, or looking for practical strategies to increase your impact, you’ll find actionable insights in this conversation.

For show notes and bonus resources, visit www.PeopleLeaderAccelerator.com/podcast.

Our goal with this podcast is simple: to help people leaders navigate the messy, complex, and deeply rewarding work of leading teams and organizations with more clarity, confidence, and community.

Whether you’re the first HR hire at a startup or an experienced executive at a company with scale, you’ll find actionable insights you can use right away.

We can’t wait to share these conversations with you.

Welcome to the journey!

Listen, learn, and connect:

🎧 Subscribe wherever you get your podcasts (Apple, Spotify, YouTube).

💡 Find show notes and bonus resources at peopleleaderaccelerator.com/podcast.

📬 Share this episode with a colleague who’s ready to level up as a people leader.

🤝 Connect with your hosts:

• Jessica Yuen: linkedin.com/in/jessicayuen | jessyuen.com

• Andrew Bartlow: linkedin.com/in/bartlow | peopleleaderaccelerator.com

Welcome to this episode of the People Leader Accelerator Podcast, where we sit down with industry leaders to uncover the real-life insights, strategies, and challenges that shape world-class organizations.

Our guest today is Heather Doshay, the founder of Waypoint Works. Heather joins our hosts, Jess Yuen and Andrew Bartlow, for a thoughtful conversation about her unique journey across tech, VC talent leadership, and organizational development.

Heather shares her insider perspective on the evolving role of VC talent partners, what it’s really like to support hundreds of startup leadership teams, and the lessons she’s carried forward into launching her own independent consultancy. Together, we explore the intersection of people strategy, business fundamentals, and the importance of choosing roles and partners, where you can both thrive and have impact.

We discuss:

• The role of VC talent partners and how in-house HR leaders can work with them

• Building HR foundations for early-stage, high-growth companies and reducing organizational debt

• Navigating sensitive conversations with founders and investors, and practicing discretion as a people leader

• Candid advice on seeking and evaluating jobs for mission, business strength, and alignment with founders

• Heather’s career highlights at Webflow, including scaling through hypergrowth and remote-first challenges

• Practical frameworks for prioritizing HR initiatives - balancing big infrastructure improvements with quick wins

• Strategies for developing empathy and influence as an HR leader, especially when working closely with CEOs

• The pros and cons of formal HR education and alternative paths for professional growth

• How to leverage AI as an HR practitioner, using technology thoughtfully for writing and process improvement

• How community and peer networks can accelerate your effectiveness as a people leader

Heather also announces her new venture, Waypoint Works, and shares her philosophy for building impact through advisory, coaching, and facilitation.

For show notes and bonus resources, visit www.PeopleLeaderAccelerator.com/podcast.

Our goal with this podcast is simple: to help people leaders navigate the messy, complex, and deeply rewarding work of leading teams and organizations with more clarity, confidence, and community.

Whether you’re the first HR hire at a startup or an experienced executive at a company with scale, you’ll find actionable insights you can use right away.

We can’t wait to share these conversations with you.

Welcome to the journey!

Listen, learn, and connect:

🎧 Subscribe wherever you get your podcasts (Apple, Spotify, YouTube).

💡 Find show notes and bonus resources at peopleleaderaccelerator.com/podcast.

📬 Share this episode with a colleague who’s ready to level up as a people leader.

🤝 Connect with your hosts:

• Jessica Yuen: linkedin.com/in/jessicayuen | jessyuen.com

• Andrew Bartlow: linkedin.com/in/bartlow | peopleleaderaccelerator.com

Welcome to the People Leader Accelerator Podcast, where we dive deep into the realities of building and leading high-impact organisations.

Our guest today is Maggie Ruvoldt, an experienced CHRO and executive with over 30 years spanning HR, business operations, and advisory roles. Maggie’s career features significant time in education and healthcare, from building HR teams at early-stage startups to managing global people operations in billion-dollar companies. Her perspective is particularly relevant to people leaders seeking to bridge the gap between HR and business, evolve their own careers, and contribute meaningfully as both leaders and mentors.

In this episode, we explore the interplay between HR and business strategy, challenging traditional career path thinking and examining what it means to truly partner with the business. Maggie shares hard-earned lessons from her own “careen, not a career” trajectory, including how she navigated between business and functional roles, developed a personal board of directors, and cultivated the confidence to take on stretch assignments and difficult conversations.

Listeners will gain practical frameworks for career development, tools for networking intentionally, and actionable advice for influencing senior leaders and opening doors to new opportunities. Maggie offers grounded insights on seeing HR through the lens of business impact, building relationships across and beyond the function, and the critical importance of sponsors, mentors, and connectors for sustained career growth.

Discussion highlights:

• Seeing HR as a business function: why understanding the broader business context is essential for HR leaders • The “careen, not a career” approach: embracing non-linear paths and focusing on growth over rigid career planning • Taking stretch assignments and leveraging fear as a signal for learning and growth • How to open doors between HR and business roles—and why advocating for yourself matters • Structuring conversations with executives to align your skills with organisational needs • The strategic value of developing both sponsors and mentors, and how each supports career acceleration • Building a personal board of directors and finding your “pump-up” person for confidence and support • Practical tactics for intentional networking, including the “20-minute meeting” strategy • Systematising relationship management to become a super connector, even as an introvert • Giving and receiving difficult feedback: skill-building for tough conversations with senior leaders • Understanding and leveraging second-degree connections (“weak ties”) for opportunity and growth • The importance of diversity of thought and lived experience in mentorship relationships

Taken together, this episode offers an honest and practical look at career development, influence, and the human side of organisational leadership. Maggie’s journey illustrates that impact often comes from stretching outside your comfort zone, building intentional relationships inside and outside your function, and always keeping the broader organisational context in view. For HR executives and senior leaders shaping their own careers and teams, her advice is immediately applicable—and grounded in genuine experience.

For show notes and bonus resources, visit www.PeopleLeaderAccelerator.com/podcast.

Our goal with this podcast is simple: to help people leaders navigate the messy, complex, and deeply rewarding work of leading teams and organizations with more clarity, confidence, and community.

Whether you’re the first HR hire at a startup or an experienced executive at a company with scale, you’ll find actionable insights you can use right away.

We can’t wait to share these conversations with you.

Welcome to the journey!

Listen, learn, and connect:

🎧 Subscribe wherever you get your podcasts (Apple, Spotify, YouTube).

💡 Find show notes and bonus resources at peopleleaderaccelerator.com/podcast.

📬 Share this episode with a colleague who’s ready to level up as a people leader.

🤝 Connect with your hosts:

• Jessica Yuen: linkedin.com/in/jessicayuen | jessyuen.com

• Andrew Bartlow: linkedin.com/in/bartlow | peopleleaderaccelerator.com

Welcome to another episode of the People Leader Accelerator Podcast, where we delve into the real-world challenges of building organisations that deliver sustained performance.

Our guest today is John K. Anderson, Managing Director at ZRG. With a career spanning more than two decades as a head of HR and now as a leading search partner for HR executives, John brings a unique perspective on both the operational and executive recruitment sides of people leadership. His work with CEOs, investors, and boards across industries has given him a front-row seat to how leadership expectations are evolving for today’s people leaders.

In this conversation, we focus on the evolving expectations for HR leaders, particularly those working with investor-backed and growing companies. John shares his experiences and observations on what distinguishes high-impact HR executives in private equity compared to venture-backed contexts, how value creation is defined, and why being adept at business strategy is essential for modern people leaders.

Listeners will gain actionable advice on preparing for executive search processes, positioning themselves for senior opportunities, and translating HR impact into business results. The episode also explores practical career development steps, the real value of certifications and advanced degrees, and how to build relationships with search partners and executives.

Discussion highlights:

• Key differences in what private equity and venture investors expect from HR leaders
• Why value creation and direct business impact now outweigh process or experience credentials
• The growing importance of data fluency and the ability to articulate HR’s impact in financial terms
• How culture is increasingly treated as a business strategy linked to revenue and talent outcomes
• The board’s rising expectations for CHROs to provide strategic insight on compensation, retention, and operational systems
• Practical advice for candidates to prepare for executive search processes, including what to underplay and what to emphasise
• Why concise, business-focused communication is essential when interviewing for senior HR roles
• The importance of building a network and being open to exploratory conversations with executive search partners
• Career development strategies beyond external job changes—gaining depth, cross-functional experience, and board exposure
• Insights on the value of advanced degrees and certifications for aspiring CPOs and HR executives
• The power of peer learning communities and cross-industry networks for people leaders’ growth

This conversation is a pragmatic look at the shifting landscape for HR executives. John’s insights highlight the increasing integration of business and people strategy, the need for clear impact stories, and the critical difference that proactive learning and networking can make for leadership careers.

For people leaders thinking about their next step or seeking to maximise their contribution, John’s perspective offers useful direction and reassurance that the function’s influence is only set to grow.

For show notes and bonus resources, visit www.PeopleLeaderAccelerator.com/podcast.

Our goal with this podcast is simple: to help people leaders navigate the messy, complex, and deeply rewarding work of leading teams and organizations with more clarity, confidence, and community.

Whether you’re the first HR hire at a startup or an experienced executive at a company with scale, you’ll find actionable insights you can use right away.

We can’t wait to share these conversations with you.

Welcome to the journey!

Listen, learn, and connect:

🎧 Subscribe wherever you get your podcasts (Apple, Spotify, YouTube).

💡 Find show notes and bonus resources at peopleleaderaccelerator.com/podcast.

📬 Share this episode with a colleague who’s ready to level up as a people leader.

🤝 Connect with your hosts:

• Jessica Yuen: linkedin.com/in/jessicayuen | jessyuen.com

• Andrew Bartlow: linkedin.com/in/bartlow | peopleleaderaccelerator.com

Welcome to another episode of the People Leader Accelerator Podcast.

Our guest today is Brandon Sammut, Chief People and AI Transformation Officer at Zapier. Brandon’s professional journey spans education, recruiting, HR leadership, and technology. He joined us to talk about what it takes to lead people teams at the intersection of automation, AI, and human potential, and how Zapier has become a model for integrating AI across business functions.

In this episode, Brandon walks us through his unconventional career, from working with first-generation college students and Teach For America to building people teams in tech companies. We dig into how Zapier achieved industry-leading AI adoption, the frameworks and workflows powering transformation, and practical ways any HR leader can start leveraging automation and artificial intelligence right now.

We discuss:

• Brandon’s path from education and nonprofit recruiting to leadership in tech and HR

• The rationale behind Zapier’s unique Chief People and AI Transformation Officer title

• How Zapier’s “code red” moment drove a company-wide shift to AI adoption

• Practical steps taken to achieve 97% AI usage across the organization

• Zapier’s AI Transformation Framework and how it shapes impact

• The importance of clear policies and integrating AI into existing workflows

• Use cases and open-source automation playbooks from Zapier’s people team

• Keeping humans accountable and in the loop for critical talent decisions

• Managing automation and workflow continuity when employees exit

• Resources and tactical advice for HR leaders to accelerate their own AI learning

• Why structured onboarding and assessment around AI fluency is now core at Zapier

• Lessons for people leaders on how to model creative experimentation and building-first mindsets

Brandon offers actionable insights for HR and people leaders navigating AI adoption, designing new workflows, or seeking inspiration for driving meaningful business transformation. This episode provides concrete tools and reflections for anyone aiming to deepen their impact in talent and technology.

For show notes and bonus resources, visit www.PeopleLeaderAccelerator.com/podcast.

Our goal with this podcast is simple: to help people leaders navigate the messy, complex, and deeply rewarding work of leading teams and organizations with more clarity, confidence, and community.

Whether you’re the first HR hire at a startup or an experienced executive at a company with scale, you’ll find actionable insights you can use right away.

We can’t wait to share these conversations with you.

Welcome to the journey!

Listen, learn, and connect:

🎧 Subscribe wherever you get your podcasts (Apple, Spotify, YouTube).

💡 Find show notes and bonus resources at peopleleaderaccelerator.com/podcast.

📬 Share this episode with a colleague who’s ready to level up as a people leader.

🤝 Connect with your hosts:

• Jessica Yuen: linkedin.com/in/jessicayuen | jessyuen.com

• Andrew Bartlow: linkedin.com/in/bartlow | peopleleaderaccelerator.com

Welcome to another episode of the People Leader Accelerator Podcast.

In this episode, we take a break from our traditional guest interviews and invite you into an informal conversation between us as hosts, Jess Yuen and Andrew Bartlow. Instead of sharing the spotlight with a guest, we dive into our own lived experiences and perspectives as people leaders, exploring what leadership, culture, and authenticity look like in practice.

We unpack a surprisingly spicy topic - costumes in the workplace.

Is it ever appropriate for leaders (or anyone, really) to wear costumes to the office, whether for Halloween or a holiday party? We find ourselves on different ends of the spectrum, each drawing from our backgrounds at established corporations, professional services, and high-growth startups.

We discuss:

• How workplace culture and industry influence what’s “acceptable” at work, from costumes to holiday pajamas to even going shoeless in the office

• The balancing act of authenticity and executive presence, including how age, background, and early-career experiences shape our choices

• What it means for HR and people leaders to be “culture stewards” - is it about fun, rigor, or both?

• The tension between delight and professionalism: what do employees and customers expect in different environments?

• Navigating the challenges of fitting into company culture without losing yourself, especially as a head of people or HR leader

• When and how people leaders can (and should) influence culture versus adapt to it

This conversation offers a window into our thinking about culture, expectations, and leadership style - and how leaders at all stages can question and shape the unwritten rules of workplace behavior.

For show notes and bonus resources, visit www.PeopleLeaderAccelerator.com/podcast.

Our goal with this podcast is simple: to help people leaders navigate the messy, complex, and deeply rewarding work of leading teams and organizations with more clarity, confidence, and community.

Whether you’re the first HR hire at a startup or an experienced executive at a company with scale, you’ll find actionable insights you can use right away.

We can’t wait to share these conversations with you.

Welcome to the journey!

Listen, learn, and connect:

🎧 Subscribe wherever you get your podcasts (Apple, Spotify, YouTube).

💡 Find show notes and bonus resources at peopleleaderaccelerator.com/podcast.

📬 Share this episode with a colleague who’s ready to level up as a people leader.

🤝 Connect with your hosts:

• Jessica Yuen: linkedin.com/in/jessicayuen | jessyuen.com

• Andrew Bartlow: linkedin.com/in/bartlow | peopleleaderaccelerator.com

Welcome to another episode of the People Leader Accelerator Podcast.

Today, we’re taking a more informal approach as we (hosts, Jess Yuen and Andrew Bartlow) sit down together for a candid conversation about conferences, professional communities, and how people leaders choose where to invest their limited time and attention.

There’s no guest this episode - just real talk between two experienced leaders reflecting on the value of industry events, how to build a supportive network, and finding the right mix of learning, connection, and ROI.

In this episode, Jess and Andrew share practical insights for people leaders weighing conference invitations, considering new communities, or just wanting to make more intentional decisions about professional development. We discuss their approaches to vetting events, setting goals for participation, and balancing networking with learning -along with some favorite hacks and honest critiques of the HR conference landscape.

We discuss:

• How Jess and Andrew decide which conferences and communities are truly worth attending - and how they get the most from those experiences

• Reflections on mainstay events like Transform, SHRM, and newer, more intimate gatherings.

• The challenge of “vendor-heavy” conferences and strategies to avoid email overload after attending

• Why networking and authentic personal connections often outweigh formal sessions and panels

• The difference between large “broad but shallow” events and small “narrow but deep” communities - and why you may only have bandwidth for a select few of each

• Thoughts on how to set clear goals to maximize the ROI of time and money spent at conferences

• Tips for filtering conference email spam and managing your follow-up efficiently

• The importance of intention and selectivity when seeking out professional development as a people leader

This episode offers a behind-the-scenes look at how two seasoned HR leaders think about professional growth, relationship-building, and the realities of staying current in an ever-evolving field. If you’re debating which conference to attend, which community to join, or how to make better use of your learning and networking time, you’ll leave with actionable ideas and honest perspective.

For show notes and bonus resources, visit www.PeopleLeaderAccelerator.com/podcast.

Our goal with this podcast is simple: to help people leaders navigate the messy, complex, and deeply rewarding work of leading teams and organizations with more clarity, confidence, and community.

Whether you’re the first HR hire at a startup or an experienced executive at a company with scale, you’ll find actionable insights you can use right away.

We can’t wait to share these conversations with you.

Welcome to the journey!

Listen, learn, and connect:

🎧 Subscribe wherever you get your podcasts (Apple, Spotify, YouTube).

💡 Find show notes and bonus resources at peopleleaderaccelerator.com/podcast.

📬 Share this episode with a colleague who’s ready to level up as a people leader.

🤝 Connect with your hosts:

• Jessica Yuen: linkedin.com/in/jessicayuen | jessyuen.com

• Andrew Bartlow: linkedin.com/in/bartlow | peopleleaderaccelerator.com

Welcome to another episode of the People Leader Accelerator Podcast.

Our guest today is Jevan Soo Lenox, a seasoned Chief People Officer whose career spans industries from fintech and food & beverage to e-commerce and biotech, currently at an AI-first enterprise organization. Jevan joins us for an honest conversation on building longevity in the CPO role, navigating transitions, and developing resilience as a senior people leader.

In this episode, Jevan shares how his early experience at McKinsey and in Asia’s dynamic growth markets shaped his curiosity for people and organizations. We explore his frameworks for career decision-making, the importance of courage and professional distance, and what shifts as you lead across different business contexts. Drawing from his experience at companies like Square, Blue Bottle Coffee, Minted, WRITER, and more, Jevan offers practical advice for people leaders looking to grow and sustain their impact.

We discuss:

• Jevan’s career path from consulting to multiple CPO roles across varying industries and company sizes

• The simple, practical rubric he uses to decide when to stay or move on: impact, learning, and enjoyment

• Navigating burnout and creating boundaries as a senior HR leader

• Building, maintaining, and valuing executive-level peer relationships

• How to interview and critically assess CEOs and leadership teams before joining

• The value of courage in delivering tough feedback and the importance of framing it with care and intent

• Managing the emotional demands of the CPO role, and finding ways to “detox” from organizational stress

• What’s different about working at an AI-first company and the organizational implications of democratized managerial skills

• Recommended resources for developing a growth mindset and deepening business acumen as a people leader

This conversation is full of candid perspectives for HR leaders at any stage - whether you’re exploring your first executive role or looking to stay resilient and impactful over the long term. Jevan’s approach to pattern recognition, authentic relationships, and business-centric HR offers actionable takeaways for anyone invested in shaping organizational culture and strategy.

For show notes and bonus resources, visit www.PeopleLeaderAccelerator.com/podcast.

Our goal with this podcast is simple: to help people leaders navigate the messy, complex, and deeply rewarding work of leading teams and organizations with more clarity, confidence, and community.

Whether you’re the first HR hire at a startup or an experienced executive at a company with scale, you’ll find actionable insights you can use right away.

We can’t wait to share these conversations with you.

Welcome to the journey!

Listen, learn, and connect:

🎧 Subscribe wherever you get your podcasts (Apple, Spotify, YouTube).

💡 Find show notes and bonus resources at peopleleaderaccelerator.com/podcast.

📬 Share this episode with a colleague who’s ready to level up as a people leader.

🤝 Connect with your hosts:

• Jessica Yuen: linkedin.com/in/jessicayuen | jessyuen.com

• Andrew Bartlow: linkedin.com/in/bartlow | peopleleaderaccelerator.com

Welcome to another episode of the People Leader Accelerator Podcast.

Our guest today is Kelli Koschmann, an experienced Chief People Officer who has led global teams at organizations such as Center City, Showpad, and SRAM, and is now an executive coach and founder of the consultancy Walking Palm. Kelli joined us for a practical and honest conversation about leading complex HR transformations, navigating founder transitions, and building cultural alignment in international businesses.

In this episode, Kelli shares her journey from falling in love with HR during her undergraduate studies to stepping into top people leadership roles at companies scaling across continents. We examine what it means to steer organizational change while supporting both employees and leadership through times of uncertainty and expansion.

We discuss:

• Kelli’s career path, from discovering HR in college to leading global people teams and launching her own coaching and consulting practice

• The dynamics of establishing and operating dual headquarters across continents, including US and Belgium

• Navigating founder transitions and executive hiring, and the HR leader’s role in communicating and supporting these changes

• Practical steps for evolving organizational culture and redefining company values with broad stakeholder input

• Approaches for decision-making in multicultural executive teams, including tools for clarifying roles and driving consensus

• Building rituals and communication practices for globally distributed leadership teams

• The realities and challenges of cascading communication versus direct leadership messages

• How to balance global alignment with local needs in HR practices and benefits

• Creating safe avenues for employee feedback and the pros and cons of anonymous channels

• Kelli’s approach to coaching leaders, fostering resilience, and finding clarity while navigating organizational complexity

This discussion is packed with actionable insights for people leaders steering growth, culture shifts, or cross-border teams. Kelli’s experiences offer grounded advice on enabling high performance, prioritizing stakeholder value, and building the networks of support every HR leader needs.

For show notes and bonus resources, visit www.PeopleLeaderAccelerator.com/podcast.

Our goal with this podcast is simple: to help people leaders navigate the messy, complex, and deeply rewarding work of leading teams and organizations with more clarity, confidence, and community.

Whether you’re the first HR hire at a startup or an experienced executive at a company with scale, you’ll find actionable insights you can use right away.

We can’t wait to share these conversations with you.

Welcome to the journey!

Listen, learn, and connect:

🎧 Subscribe wherever you get your podcasts (Apple, Spotify, YouTube).

💡 Find show notes and bonus resources at peopleleaderaccelerator.com/podcast.

📬 Share this episode with a colleague who’s ready to level up as a people leader.

🤝 Connect with your hosts:

• Jessica Yuen: linkedin.com/in/jessicayuen | jessyuen.com

• Andrew Bartlow: linkedin.com/in/bartlow | peopleleaderaccelerator.com

Welcome to another episode of the People Leader Accelerator Podcast, where we dive into what it truly means to lead teams and build effective organisations.

Our guest today is Guissu Baier, Chief People Officer at GoFundMe. With a diverse background as both an employment attorney and people executive, Guissu brings unique perspective from her time at Visa, Instacart, venture capital firm General Catalyst, and as a co-founder of The People Collective. Her experience spanning high-growth startups, large enterprises, and investor advisory roles gives her uncommon insight into the challenges and opportunities people leaders face as organisations evolve.

In this conversation, we examine the real-world complexities of leadership development, the evolving role of people leaders, and the nuances of career growth in HR. The episode explores the contrast between operating roles and advisory positions, offers a candid look at working with stakeholders like legal and investors, and highlights the decisions that matter most as organisations scale or adapt.

Discussion highlights:

• Guissu’s unconventional career progression from employment law to Chief People Officer
• Building partnerships between HR and legal teams, including practical tips for reducing friction
• Determining when organisations need in-house employment counsel and the variables that affect hiring decisions
• Lessons learned from moving between in-house HR leadership, consulting, and venture capital advisory work
• Common missteps founders make when hiring their first people leaders and how to clarify people team roles
• Why pattern recognition helps but doesn’t replace context-specific judgement in talent decisions
• Navigating personal career transitions - what to look for in your next operating or advisory role

Taken together, this conversation offers grounded insight into the multifaceted nature of HR leadership. Guissu shares practical lessons on building impactful partnerships, making the right career decisions, and focusing on the outcomes that matter most for your organisation and your own growth. People leaders who want to deepen their influence, whether inside fast-scaling companies or in investor advisory roles, will find plenty to reflect on and apply.

For show notes and bonus resources, visit www.PeopleLeaderAccelerator.com/podcast.

Our goal with this podcast is simple: to help people leaders navigate the messy, complex, and deeply rewarding work of leading teams and organizations with more clarity, confidence, and community.

Whether you’re the first HR hire at a startup or an experienced executive at a company with scale, you’ll find actionable insights you can use right away.

We can’t wait to share these conversations with you.

Welcome to the journey!

Listen, learn, and connect:

🎧 Subscribe wherever you get your podcasts (Apple, Spotify, YouTube).

💡 Find show notes and bonus resources at peopleleaderaccelerator.com/podcast.

📬 Share this episode with a colleague who’s ready to level up as a people leader.

🤝 Connect with your hosts:

• Jessica Yuen: linkedin.com/in/jessicayuen | jessyuen.com

• Andrew Bartlow: linkedin.com/in/bartlow | peopleleaderaccelerator.com

Welcome to another episode of the People Leader Accelerator Podcast, where we explore what it really takes to accelerate careers and build high-performing organizations.

Our guest today is Teresa Lilly, an experienced HR leader and fractional CPO who has navigated the people leadership landscape across the US and Australia. With over a decade spent scaling tech startups from early to growth stages, advising founders, and now helping multiple organizations as a consultant and interim executive, Teresa Lilly offers a candid perspective on the practical realities of change leadership, executive relationships, and adapting people strategy to diverse business contexts.

In this episode, we focus on the leadership challenges of managing organizational change, aligning HR and business strategy, and building the relationship between people leaders and CEOs. Teresa Lilly shares lessons from change-heavy environments, the impact of local employment regulations, and what she wishes more HR professionals understood about their own influence.

Listeners will gain a wealth of practical insights on navigating organizational transitions, building credibility with executive teams, and stepping into consulting or fractional leadership roles. Teresa Lilly provides grounded advice on influencing company direction, managing personal values amid business pressures, and making the leap from in-house operator to advisory roles.

Discussion highlights:

• How a non-traditional background and international move shaped Teresa Lilly’s approach to people leadership
• The emotional and relational costs of sustained organizational change - and how leaders can address them
• Practical strategies for planning and communicating major changes, such as CEO transitions
• The critical role of managers in helping teams process and adapt during change
• Why the HR-CEO relationship is pivotal, and techniques to “stress test” alignment early in a new role
• Recognizing when values and beliefs between HR and leadership are too misaligned to reconcile
• The realities of moving from in-house roles to fractional or consulting work, including building trust and managing context-switching
• How to structure fractional CPO work across multiple clients without losing effectiveness
• The trade-offs between flexibility, influence, and workload as a consultant versus an in-house HR leader
• Key differences between US and Australian startup ecosystems, particularly regulatory impacts on people practices
• Advice on how to build career growth, credibility, and influence - regardless of organizational context
• The importance of understanding your business and speaking its language as a people leader

This conversation offers a nuanced, experience-based look into the trade-offs and decisions people leaders face when managing organizational transitions and shaping people strategy. Teresa Lilly’s insights into executive relationships, practical change management, and the realities of consulting are relevant for HR leaders, founders, and executives alike. Whether you are scaling a startup, considering a shift to advisory work, or navigating the unique challenges of your region’s ecosystem, the lessons here provide actionable guidance and candid reflection for your leadership journey.

For show notes and bonus resources, visit www.PeopleLeaderAccelerator.com/podcast.

Our goal with this podcast is simple: to help people leaders navigate the messy, complex, and deeply rewarding work of leading teams and organizations with more clarity, confidence, and community.

Whether you’re the first HR hire at a startup or an experienced executive at a company with scale, you’ll find actionable insights you can use right away.

We can’t wait to share these conversations with you.

Welcome to the journey!

Listen, learn, and connect:

🎧 Subscribe wherever you get your podcasts (Apple, Spotify, YouTube).

💡 Find show notes and bonus resources at peopleleaderaccelerator.com/podcast.

📬 Share this episode with a colleague who’s ready to level up as a people leader.

🤝 Connect with your hosts:

• Jessica Yuen: linkedin.com/in/jessicayuen | jessyuen.com

• Andrew Bartlow: linkedin.com/in/bartlow | peopleleaderaccelerator.com

Welcome to another episode of the People Leader Accelerator Podcast, where we explore what it really takes to build high-performing organisations.

Our guest today is Puren Ucar, one of Europe’s original venture capital talent partners, and now an independent advisor working closely with founders and VC firms across the UK and Europe. With a background in executive search and years spent building out talent functions for leading venture firms, Puren brings a unique, insider’s view of both the operational and strategic sides of scaling leadership teams inside high-growth companies.

In this episode, we explore the evolution of the talent function within VC-backed organisations, the shift from talent acquisition to advisory, and the practical realities of supporting founders as they scale teams and navigate critical leadership hires. We also examine how emerging tools like AI are influencing executive search and networking, and delve into the personal side of working closely with ambitious founders.

Listeners will gain practical, candid insight into what it takes to build and support executive teams—from diagnosing organisational needs, to coaching founders through decision-making, to leveraging frameworks that balance business needs with human dynamics. Leaders will also hear about effective approaches to founder advisory, common misconceptions in hiring, and lessons for building trust with both founders and boards.

Discussion highlights:

• Shifting from embedded executive talent acquisition to strategic talent advisory for portfolio companies
• Building frameworks and playbooks that help diagnose organisational challenges and guide leadership hiring
• The importance of starting every search by clarifying the true capability needs of the business Tactics for engaging founders deeply in the search and selection process—including bespoke scorecards and benchmarking conversations
• Addressing the emotional and psychological elements underlying leadership hiring decisions
• How leadership traits valued in the UK or Western Europe may differ from those prioritised in Eastern European contexts
• The impact of AI tools on sourcing and networking—what changes and what remains uniquely human
• Trends in using psychometric assessments within VC-backed organisations and their alternatives “IC” work at the executive level—why hands-on curiosity and continued learning are increasingly valued alongside traditional management skills
• How AI fluency is influencing the composition and nurturing of today’s executive networks Why founder alignment, safe spaces, and clear role boundaries are essential for successful C-level searches
• Practical advice for people leaders: prioritising hands-on learning, leveraging peer insights, and building a network that adapts to changing organisational needs

This conversation sheds light on the realities of building and advising executive teams in high-growth environments, where business strategy and people dynamics intersect. For senior people leaders and founders, the insights shared here offer both tactical takeaways and a reminder that effective leadership is as much about human connection as it is about frameworks and process.

For show notes and bonus resources, visit www.PeopleLeaderAccelerator.com/podcast.

Our goal with this podcast is simple: to help people leaders navigate the messy, complex, and deeply rewarding work of leading teams and organizations with more clarity, confidence, and community.

Whether you’re the first HR hire at a startup or an experienced executive at a company with scale, you’ll find actionable insights you can use right away.

We can’t wait to share these conversations with you.

Welcome to the journey!

Listen, learn, and connect:

🎧 Subscribe wherever you get your podcasts (Apple, Spotify, YouTube).

💡 Find show notes and bonus resources at peopleleaderaccelerator.com/podcast.

📬 Share this episode with a colleague who’s ready to level up as a people leader.

🤝 Connect with your hosts:

• Jessica Yuen: linkedin.com/in/jessicayuen | jessyuen.com

• Andrew Bartlow: linkedin.com/in/bartlow | peopleleaderaccelerator.com

Welcome to another episode of the People Leader Accelerator Podcast, where we explore what it really takes to build high-performing organisations.

Our guests today are Maryanne Caughey, Head of People at Lovable, and Charles Guillemet, Head of Recruiting at Lovable. Between them, they bring decades of experience leading people and talent functions at world-class technology organisations, including Google, Dropbox, Notion, Meta, Neuralink, and Gusto. Their perspective is highly relevant for leaders building teams at the intersection of culture, talent strategy, and breakthrough technology.

This episode centers on the realities and challenges of building organisational culture, systems, and talent processes in an environment defined by hypergrowth and rapid technological change. Jess Yuen, Andrew Bartlow, Maryanne Caughey, and Charles Guillemet discuss how Lovable, a leading AI-native company, scales its team and leadership practices while navigating intense competition and a fast-moving market.

Listeners will walk away with grounded insights into what it means to operationalize people strategy for speed without sacrificing trust, quality, or culture. The conversation unpacks practical approaches to hiring, compensation, decision-making, and performance management, as well as the core leadership habits required to succeed in dynamic, founder-led environments.

Discussion highlights:

• The impact of founder involvement and talent obsession on early hiring and culture formation
• Why Lovable prioritizes “systems over heroics” to enable both speed and quality in people processes
• Practical approaches to removing compensation as a barrier and building trust through transparent pay structures
• The value of direct culture diagnosis and the importance of understanding founder DNA when shaping talent strategy
• How high-growth companies balance the need to unlearn past habits and adapt to new organisational contexts
• Examples of rapid decision-making, such as evolving location strategy and the willingness to reverse previously “irreversible” choices
• Early implementation of scalable HR and recruiting systems, often years ahead of company age
• The reality of work intensity and the deliberate setting of expectations with candidates and employees
• Approaches to performance management that decouple compensation from reviews to favor shipping and growth
• How AI is integrated into talent and operations, and what “AI fluency” looks like for hiring and career growth
• Rethinking headcount planning and prioritisation in a context of uncertainty and rapid change
• The interplay between high trust, direct feedback, and the ability to course-correct quickly as an organisation

This conversation offers practical, experience-driven guidance for senior HR and business leaders looking to build high-performance organisations in uncertain and fast-moving markets. Maryanne Caughey and Charles Guillemet share not just frameworks, but also lived experience scaling teams where stakes are high, expectations are explicit, and learning cycles are short. For leaders navigating similar environments, there is much here to reflect on, whether you are building your first systems, rethinking people strategy for the AI era, or working to harmonise trust, culture, and operational excellence.

For show notes and bonus resources, visit www.PeopleLeaderAccelerator.com/podcast.

Our goal with this podcast is simple: to help people leaders navigate the messy, complex, and deeply rewarding work of leading teams and organizations with more clarity, confidence, and community.

Whether you’re the first HR hire at a startup or an experienced executive at a company with scale, you’ll find actionable insights you can use right away.

We can’t wait to share these conversations with you.

Welcome to the journey!

Listen, learn, and connect:

🎧 Subscribe wherever you get your podcasts (Apple, Spotify, YouTube).

💡 Find show notes and bonus resources at peopleleaderaccelerator.com/podcast.

📬 Share this episode with a colleague who’s ready to level up as a people leader.

🤝 Connect with your hosts:

• Jessica Yuen: linkedin.com/in/jessicayuen | jessyuen.com

• Andrew Bartlow: linkedin.com/in/bartlow | peopleleaderaccelerator.com

Welcome to the People Leader Accelerator Podcast, where we examine what it genuinely takes to lead, scale, and evolve effective organisations.

Our guest for this episode is AJ Thomas, an accomplished executive with a remarkable track record across talent, HR operations, business strategy, and the early-stage venture ecosystem. Having served in pivotal roles at Alphabet’s Moonshot Factory (Google X) and as a founder and general partner at an early-stage venture firm, AJ Thomas brings a rich, multidisciplinary perspective to the evolving world of people leadership. AJ Thomas’s hands-on experience spans leading global talent initiatives, designing organisational culture, and advising both startups and established enterprises as they navigate innovation and change.

This conversation focuses on the vital role of experimentation, curiosity, and first principles thinking in shaping effective HR leadership. Against a backdrop of technological transformation, including the rising influence of generative AI, we dig into how people leaders can remain grounded in the human aspects of their roles while effectively driving innovation and business outcomes.

Discussion highlights:

• Navigating a non-linear career path and the value of being a “super learner”
• The power of experimentation in HR and why learning from failed experiments is critical
• How to design experiments with clear objectives, “kill criteria,” and real business impact in mind
• The importance of challenging the status quo by first getting deeply curious about it
• Integrating people strategy with AI and technology-driven change, without losing sight of human outcomes
• Lessons from applying rapid testing and iteration in high-stakes environments like Google X
• Why starting with the business goal - and not just the solution - drives more meaningful change
• Practical frameworks for aligning HR initiatives to measurable organisational outcomes
• The courage it takes to unsell ideas and prioritise what will truly support business and people growth

This episode offers candid insight into the leadership qualities and practical tools needed to guide organisations through uncertainty and change.

For show notes and bonus resources, visit www.PeopleLeaderAccelerator.com/podcast.

Our goal with this podcast is simple: to help people leaders navigate the messy, complex, and deeply rewarding work of leading teams and organizations with more clarity, confidence, and community.

Whether you’re the first HR hire at a startup or an experienced executive at a company with scale, you’ll find actionable insights you can use right away.

We can’t wait to share these conversations with you.

Welcome to the journey!

Listen, learn, and connect:

🎧 Subscribe wherever you get your podcasts (Apple, Spotify, YouTube).

💡 Find show notes and bonus resources at peopleleaderaccelerator.com/podcast.

📬 Share this episode with a colleague who’s ready to level up as a people leader.

🤝 Connect with your hosts:

• Jessica Yuen: linkedin.com/in/jessicayuen | jessyuen.com

• Andrew Bartlow: linkedin.com/in/bartlow | peopleleaderaccelerator.com

Welcome to another episode of the People Leader Accelerator Podcast, where we explore what it really takes to build high-performing organisations.

Our guest today is Dylan Vassallo, an engineering leader at OpenAI, where he leads the People Innovation Labs team. Dylan brings a unique blend of technical expertise and a deep passion for people operations, having previously held impactful roles at Khan Academy and Stripe. His background in both engineering management and HR innovation gives him a distinctive perspective on how cutting-edge technology can empower and transform people teams.

In this conversation, we discuss the strategic and practical considerations behind building internal tools for people teams at scale. Dylan shares how OpenAI balances the decision to build versus buy people systems, the importance of simplifying employee workflows, and how AI is enabling new levels of efficiency and impact for people operations. The episode delves into the nuances of aligning technology, culture, and operational realities as organisations expand rapidly.

Listeners will come away with actionable insights on optimising people processes, fostering a culture of experimentation, and navigating the trade-offs of introducing new technologies within HR. Dylan also shares tips on how HR leaders can adopt a builder’s mindset, pilot solutions, and partner effectively with engineering teams, even in resource-constrained environments.

Discussion highlights:

• Why OpenAI created a dedicated People Innovation Labs team to address organisational challenges during periods of hypergrowth
• Balancing “build vs. buy” decisions and creating user-friendly layers on top of complex HR systems
• The importance of simplifying employee experiences by curating paved paths through HR workflows
• How to assess when an organisation is ready for custom internal tools based on operational complexity and compliance demands
• The role of cross-functional collaboration with security, legal, and other stakeholders when implementing people technology
• Common pitfalls in rolling out HR tech, including the need for strong operational support and sustainable adoption
• Encouraging a culture of curiosity, experimentation, and iterative improvement within HR teams
• Practical strategies for fostering a mindset of continuous learning and career growth in people leadership

This conversation is a grounded exploration of how technology and people strategy intersect as organisations grow.

For show notes and bonus resources, visit www.PeopleLeaderAccelerator.com/podcast.

Our goal with this podcast is simple: to help people leaders navigate the messy, complex, and deeply rewarding work of leading teams and organizations with more clarity, confidence, and community.

Whether you’re the first HR hire at a startup or an experienced executive at a company with scale, you’ll find actionable insights you can use right away.

We can’t wait to share these conversations with you.

Welcome to the journey!

Listen, learn, and connect:

🎧 Subscribe wherever you get your podcasts (Apple, Spotify, YouTube).

💡 Find show notes and bonus resources at peopleleaderaccelerator.com/podcast.

📬 Share this episode with a colleague who’s ready to level up as a people leader.

🤝 Connect with your hosts:

• Jessica Yuen: linkedin.com/in/jessicayuen | jessyuen.com

• Andrew Bartlow: linkedin.com/in/bartlow | peopleleaderaccelerator.com

Welcome to another episode of the People Leader Accelerator Podcast.

In this episode, we take a break from the traditional guest interviews and invite you into an informal conversation between hosts, Jess Yuen and Andrew Bartlow. Instead of sharing the spotlight with a guest, they dive into their own lived experiences and perspectives as people leaders, exploring what leadership, culture, and authenticity look like in practice.

This episode centres on the real impact of artificial intelligence on productivity, headcount, and organizational structure. Andrew and Jess discuss how recent technology-driven layoffs in major companies, the drive for efficiency in tech and high-growth environments, and the practicalities of leveraging AI tools are reshaping management practices and leadership demands. They examine whether the wave of workforce reductions is truly about AI-driven efficiency or if other factors, such as investor pressure and post-pandemic organizational changes, also play a critical role.

Discussion highlights:

• The current wave of tech layoffs and whether AI is the real cause or a convenient narrative
• How leaders can approach organizational “flattening” and wider spans of control with caution
• The unique challenges and risks of managing large numbers of direct reports
• Investor and board pressures shaping productivity and technology adoption in HR
• The pitfalls of pursuing AI for its own sake rather than solving specific business problems
• Key factors to consider before replacing complex systems with AI or no/low-code solutions
• The importance of evaluating the complexity and sensitivity of business processes before deciding whether to build or buy solutions
• Practical strategies for team leaders to identify use cases, measure ROI, and avoid common technology traps

Taken together, this conversation delivers a thoughtful look at what it takes to lead organizations through waves of change, especially as AI and new technology reshape job roles and leadership responsibilities. 

For show notes and bonus resources, visit www.PeopleLeaderAccelerator.com/podcast.

Our goal with this podcast is simple: to help people leaders navigate the messy, complex, and deeply rewarding work of leading teams and organizations with more clarity, confidence, and community.

Whether you’re the first HR hire at a startup or an experienced executive at a company with scale, you’ll find actionable insights you can use right away.

We can’t wait to share these conversations with you.

Welcome to the journey!

Listen, learn, and connect:

🎧 Subscribe wherever you get your podcasts (Apple, Spotify, YouTube).

💡 Find show notes and bonus resources at peopleleaderaccelerator.com/podcast.

📬 Share this episode with a colleague who’s ready to level up as a people leader.

🤝 Connect with your hosts:

• Jessica Yuen: linkedin.com/in/jessicayuen | jessyuen.com

• Andrew Bartlow: linkedin.com/in/bartlow | peopleleaderaccelerator.com