"If your actions inspire others to dream more, learn more, do more and become more ... you are a leader." ~ John Quincy Adams.
We love sending our listeners on a journey of discovery as they learn about the inspiring lives of industry thought leaders, business owners, & entrepreneurs from all walks of life, who share one thing in common – SUCCESS! And it all starts with one—one idea; one conversation; one dream.
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Success Leaves Clues: Ep 291 - Stop Hiring for Resume. Start Hiring for Impact with Alison Kaizer, Partner at Golden Ventures
Season 6 · Episode 291
Thursday, April 30, 2026 • Duration 32:12
What if the reason your company isn’t scaling… has nothing to do with your product, and everything to do with who you hire?
In this episode of Success Leaves Clues, Robin Bailey and Al McDonald sit down with Alison Kaizer, Partner of Talent at Golden Ventures, to break down the real mechanics behind building high-performing teams inside early-stage startups.
Alison has helped scale companies from dozens to hundreds of employees, and now supports founders across an entire portfolio, shaping the people decisions that determine whether a company grows or stalls.
This conversation pulls back the curtain on what actually makes a great hire, why most founders get it wrong, and how to build a hiring system that works before your company even knows what it needs.
From ditching resume bias to hiring for aptitude, from building structured interview systems to creating transparency in compensation, this episode is a masterclass in hiring as a strategic advantage.
If you’re building a team, scaling a company, or making critical early hires, this episode will completely shift how you think about talent.
You’ll hear about:
Why resume-driven hiring is one of the biggest mistakes founders make
The difference between hiring for experience vs. hiring for aptitude
How to identify high-impact talent before it’s obvious on paper
Why past success doesn’t guarantee future performance
The role of structured interviews in eliminating hiring bias
How to build a repeatable hiring system that scales with your company
The hidden cost of hiring “safe” candidates instead of adaptable ones
Why early-stage companies should prioritize learning ability over playbooks
How transparency in compensation builds trust and closes top candidates
The real reason culture fit is often misunderstood and misused
How to assess values in a short interview process without guesswork
What founders need to understand about motivation, ambition, and timing
We talk about:
00:00 Introduction to Alison Kaizer and Golden Ventures
02:00 From consulting to recruiting, the unexpected career path
Success Leaves Clues Ep. 290 - The Leadership Shift That Builds Companies That Last with Sarah O’Brien, Chief Operating Officer at SMS Security
Season 6 · Episode 290
Thursday, April 23, 2026 • Duration 28:54
What happens when you inherit a legacy… but need to evolve it to survive?
In this episode of Success Leaves Clues, Robin and Al sit down with Sarah O’Brien, Chief Operating Officer at SMS Security, to explore the real leadership transformation required to grow a family business into a scalable, modern organization.
Sarah shares what it actually feels like stepping into a second-generation leadership role, navigating expectations, earning trust, and redefining what leadership looks like in a company built on legacy relationships.
From letting go of being the problem-solver, to building systems that don’t rely on one person, to leading in a 24/7 high-stakes industry, this conversation unpacks the mindset and operational shifts required to build a company that lasts.
If you’re leading a team, scaling a business, or transitioning leadership in any capacity, this episode will challenge how you think about control, trust, and long-term success.
You’ll hear about:
What it really means to step into leadership in a family business
Why second-generation leaders are natural disruptors
The hidden challenge of earning trust inside your own company
How to shift from reactive problem-solving to scalable systems
Why leadership can feel lonely and how to build external support
The difference between technical competence and true trust-building
How listening, not solving, creates stronger teams and clients
Why consistency and communication define leadership credibility
How to lead in a 24/7, high-pressure industry without burning out your team
The mindset shift from being needed… to building something that doesn’t need you
Success Leaves Clues Ep. 289 - The Employee Experience Strategy with Alisha Patel, VP People & Culture at CanadaHelps
Season 6 · Episode 289
Thursday, April 9, 2026 • Duration 28:13
What if your employee experience strategy is the reason your business is either scaling… or stalling?
In this episode of Success Leaves Clues, Robin Bailey and Al McDonald sit down with Alisha Patel, VP People & Culture at CanadaHelps, to unpack what it really means to design a workplace where people, performance, and business outcomes actually align.
Alisha brings a rare combination of people leadership and financial expertise, offering a perspective most organizations are missing. She breaks down why employee experience is not an HR function, but a business strategy, and how leaders can finally connect culture, retention, and performance in a way that drives real results.
From listening tours and multi-generational workforce design to global cultural nuance and flexible benefits, this conversation challenges the “one-size-fits-all” approach most companies are still relying on.
If you’re leading a team, building culture, or trying to retain great people in a rapidly changing workforce, this episode will shift how you think about leadership, investment, and what actually creates sustainable growth.
You’ll hear about:
Why employee experience strategy is a business function, not an HR initiative
How combining finance and people strategy changes leadership decisions
The real reason “people are our greatest asset” often falls flat
What listening tours are and how they shape high-impact people programs
Why one-size-fits-all benefits and policies are failing modern teams
How to design for five generations in today’s workforce
The connection between flexibility, retention, and productivity
Why culture must evolve across global teams and local contexts
Success Leaves Clues: Ep288 - Why Culture Is Your Only Real Competitive Advantage with Ashlea Desroches, People & Culture Leader at Elastic Path
Season 6 · Episode 288
Thursday, April 2, 2026 • Duration 36:54
What if employee experience isn’t an HR initiative… but the system your entire business runs on?
In this episode of Success Leaves Clues, Robin and Al sit down with Ashlea Desroches, People & Culture Leader at Elastic Path, to unpack a powerful shift in how organizations think about culture, performance, and leadership.
Ashlea challenges the idea that employee experience is a “nice to have,” and reframes it as the true competitive advantage driving engagement, retention, customer experience, and ultimately, business results.
From psychological safety and leadership behavior to pay transparency and growth-driven management, this conversation goes deep into what actually creates high-performing teams… and why most organizations are still getting it wrong.
If you’re leading a team, scaling a company, or trying to build a culture people don’t want to leave, this episode will change how you think about performance, trust, and what it really takes to win.
You’ll hear about:
Why employee experience is the operating system of your business
The link between culture, customer experience, and profitability
Why high performance does not always equal high engagement
How employee referrals reveal your true internal culture
The role of psychological safety in innovation and team performance
Why great cultures are built on clarity, safety, and recognition
The difference between comfort and true psychological safety
How avoiding difficult conversations destroys team trust
The one question every leader should be asking their team
Success Leaves Clues Ep. 287 - Redefining Leadership, Operations, and Culture with Michelle Brooks, Chief People Officer & Head of Operations at Security Compass
Season 6 · Episode 287
Thursday, March 26, 2026 • Duration 30:33
What if the Chief People Officer is no longer just responsible for people… but for how the entire business operates?
In this episode of Success Leaves Clues, Robin and Al welcome back Michelle Brooks, Chief People Officer & Head of Operations at Security Compass, to explore one of the most important shifts happening inside modern organizations.
The role of HR is evolving fast. What was once seen as a support function is now becoming central to how businesses scale, operate, and perform.
Michelle shares how the CPO role is expanding into operations and even technology, why organizations are moving from departments to workflows, and how leaders can rethink structure, decision-making, and culture in a rapidly changing environment.
The conversation also dives into a surprising redefinition of burnout, why it’s no longer about working too much, but about working inefficiently, and how removing friction inside organizations can unlock both performance and engagement.
If you are a CEO, founder, HR leader, or operator navigating growth, complexity, and change, this episode offers a clear lens on where leadership and organizational design are heading next.
You’ll hear about:
Why the Chief People Officer role is expanding into operations and technology
How organizations are shifting from departments to workflow-based thinking
The concept of the CPO as an “organizational architect”
Why HR and operations are no longer separate functions
How COVID accelerated the strategic importance of people leadership
Success Leaves Clues Ep. 286 - Inclusive Leadership Isn’t What You Think with Stewart Whittingham, Director of Culture and Belonging at Miller Thomson
Season 6 · Episode 286
Thursday, March 19, 2026 • Duration 29:15
In this episode of Success Leaves Clues, Robin and Al sit down with Stewart Whittingham, Director of Culture and Belonging at Miller Thomson, to explore one of the most overlooked challenges in leadership today: the gap between the culture leaders believe they are creating and what employees actually experience.
With nearly 30 years of experience in leadership, talent strategy, and inclusion, Stewart brings a thoughtful and practical perspective to the conversation, grounded in both strategy and lived experience.
The discussion reveals a critical truth: many organizations are committed to inclusion, yet struggle to translate that commitment into consistent, everyday experiences for their people.
Stewart explains how gaps in awareness, psychological safety, and leadership behavior can quietly undermine culture, even in organizations with strong values and clear intentions. He also highlights how belonging drives engagement, performance, and better decision-making across teams.
If you are a CEO, HR leader, executive, or business owner responsible for culture and performance, this episode offers a clear and practical lens on what it takes to build environments where people and organizations can truly thrive.
You’ll hear about:
Why inclusive leadership directly impacts business performance, not just people strategy
The real cost of exclusion, including missed ideas, turnover, and stalled innovation
How belonging drives engagement, retention, productivity, and results
The hidden gap between the culture leaders think they create and what employees actually experience
Why silence in organizations often signals fear, not agreement
Success Leaves Clues Ep. 285 - Fixing Access, Awareness, and Benefits Plan Design with Vincent Ng, Director of Group Health Solutions at RBC Insurance
Season 6 · Episode 285
Thursday, March 12, 2026 • Duration 30:16
In this episode of Success Leaves Clues, Robin and Al sit down with Vincent Ng, Director of Group Health Solutions at RBC Insurance, to explore one of the most misunderstood challenges in employee benefits today: why employees often don’t use the benefits available to them.
With more than 25 years of experience across healthcare, pharmacy, and insurance, Vincent brings a rare perspective to the conversation. As a licensed pharmacist and health benefits leader, he sits at the intersection of clinical care, digital transformation, and employer-sponsored health strategy.
The discussion reveals a surprising truth: many benefit plans look rich on paper, yet employees struggle to access them in practice.
Vincent explains why awareness gaps, fragmented platforms, and overly complex plan designs often prevent employees from engaging with their benefits until a crisis occurs. The conversation explores how employers and advisors can rethink plan communication, simplify access, and organize benefits around real human problems instead of administrative categories.
If you are a CEO, HR leader, benefits advisor, or business owner responsible for employee wellbeing, this episode offers a strategic look at how benefits plans are evolving and what organizations can do today to ensure employees actually use the support available to them.
You’ll hear about:
Why many employees don’t understand the benefits available to them
The concept of “cognitive overload” in complex benefit plans
Why rich benefit plans often remain underutilized
How multiple platforms and logins create friction for employees
Why benefits should be organized around problems, not providers
Success Leaves Clues Ep. 284 - Special Roundtable - Trust, Flexibility, and Performance: The Real Return to Work Conversation
Season 6 · Episode 284
Thursday, February 26, 2026 • Duration 01:06:13
In this special roundtable episode of Success Leaves Clues, Robin and Al bring together three experienced leaders for a candid, practitioner-level conversation on one of the most emotionally charged leadership topics today: return to work vs remote work.
Featuring: Amanda Small, Head of People & Culture; Cerys Goodall, Operations Leader; and Elizabeth Lynch, HR Consultant and Culture Advisor, this discussion moves beyond headlines and into real-world leadership tension.
Is return to office about location? Or is it about trust, accountability, and clarity of outcomes? If you are a CEO, founder, HR leader, executive, or manager navigating return to office mandates, hybrid models, or remote work performance, this episode offers grounded insight from leaders living this reality every day.
The panel explores:
Why “bums in seats” does not equal performance
The difference between visibility and accountability
How unclear outcomes create disengagement
Why intentional workplace design matters more than policy
Generational shifts in how trust is built
The role of flexibility in retention and employee wellbeing
Why leaders must be considerate without catering
How culture either lives in daily behavior or dies in policy
You’ll hear about:
Is return to work a trust issue or a management capability issue?
Why accountability must be tied to outcomes, not visibility
The difference between listening to employees and catering to them
“Considerate without catering” as a leadership philosophy
Why the office should function as a teammate, not just a location
Success Leaves Clues: Ep283 - The Truth About “People First” Leadership with guest HR and People & Culture Leader Dunja Vujovic
Season 6 · Episode 283
Thursday, February 19, 2026 • Duration 30:07
In this episode of Success Leaves Clues, Robin Bailey and Al McDonald sit down with senior HR and People & Culture leader Dunja Vujovic for a candid conversation about what “people first leadership” actually means, and why most organizations get it wrong.
Dunja shares why simply declaring your company “people first” is not enough, and how values must show up in real decisions, especially when budgets tighten and pressure rises. She explains why her team shifted from saying “people first” to “do right by people,” and how that subtle change drives clearer accountability, stronger performance conversations, and healthier cultures.
The conversation explores vulnerable leadership, why leaders do not need to have all the answers, and how raising your hand first to admit mistakes builds real trust. Dunja challenges traditional leadership models that reward ego and certainty, and instead advocates for hiring people smarter than you, investing in middle management, and normalizing hard conversations early.
Robin and Al also unpack how leadership expectations have evolved, why assumption is the enemy of communication, and how culture either lives in daily behavior or dies on the office wall.
This episode is a practical and grounded guide to culture transformation, accountability, and building a workplace where people thrive without lowering performance standards.
You’ll hear about:
What “people first leadership” really means in practice
Why cutting benefits first is a cultural red flag
The difference between “people first” and “do right by people”
Why accountability and hard conversations are part of empowerment
Success Leaves Clues: Ep282 with executive leadership coach Christine Farrugia
Season 6 · Episode 282
Thursday, February 12, 2026 • Duration 35:14
In this episode of Success Leaves Clues, hosts Robin and Al sit down with executive leadership coach and strategic advisor Christine Farrugia for a deeply grounded conversation about success, fulfillment, and decision-making in complex leadership roles.
Christine shares why so many high performers feel empty despite doing “everything right” on paper, and how chasing inherited definitions of success quietly erodes energy, confidence, and clarity. The conversation explores the powerful concept of “the gap versus the gain,” why comparison steals momentum, and how leaders can reconnect with progress by recognizing daily wins instead of endlessly moving goalposts.
Robin, Al, and Christine also unpack how leaders make decisions when data is incomplete, stakes feel high, and ambiguity is unavoidable. Christine offers practical insight into trusting intuition, distinguishing reversible versus irreversible decisions, and stepping out of fear-based paralysis.
The episode weaves together leadership, values, customer-centricity, and personal growth, emphasizing that clarity comes from alignment, not achievement alone. Christine also shares how leaders can identify misalignment between personal values and organizational culture, and why many perceived conflicts are stories worth examining more closely.
You’ll hear about:
Why high performers often feel unfulfilled despite outward success
The difference between chasing success and defining it for yourself
The “gap versus the gain” framework and how it changes motivation
How comparison quietly drains confidence and joy
Daily wins as a leadership discipline, not a productivity trick
Making decisions when data is incomplete and pressure is high
Reversible versus irreversible leadership decisions
Trusting intuition without abandoning logic
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