Guerrilla HR

Is growth slowing your organization down? In this episode of the Guerrilla HR podcast, Becky sits down with Lilith Christiansen. Lilith is a growth alignment architect, founder of HumanGenuity, and co-author of Successful Onboarding.Together, they explore the concept of organizational drag—the hidden friction that causes decision-making to stall, creates rework, and frustrates teams as companies scale. Lilith explains why lea...

Why do some teams thrive while others struggle even when they have top talent and abundant resources?

In this episode of The Guerrilla HR Podcast, host Becky Drozdz sits down with David Lengyel, founder of Venture Up. With over four decades of experience leading experiential training programs and reaching more than 400,000 participants, David shares how extreme sports, mountaineering, and hands-on metaphors help leaders build genuin...

In this episode of the Guerrilla HR Podcast, Becky sits down with DeeAnne Palin, Founder and CEO of OnPoint Business Solutions. Deanne shares why managing people is often the hardest part of running a company and explains what she calls the "Million Dollar Mistake", the massive operational, turnover, and revenue leaks businesses suffer when people strategy is neglected.

Becky and DeeAnn dive into the true costs of turnover, why CEOs...

In this episode of the Guerilla HR Podcast, host Becky Drozdz sits down with business owner, staffing specialist, consultant, bodybuilder, and author Nina Burris. Nina shares how she transformed a single cleaning business started in 2001 into a multi-faceted operation by leveraging core-value hiring and situational group interviews to virtually eliminate employee turnover. From her early days managing retail stores to authoring her...

In this episode of the Guerrilla HR Podcast, Becky sits down with Coby Skonord, founder and CEO of Ideawake, an idea management platform designed to help organizations crowdsource innovation from their employees. Coby shares his journey from walking away from a Big Four accounting firm on his first day of training to building a software solution used by major companies to turn employee feedback into actionable business impact. Beck...

What if more PTO and salary increases aren't the cure for employee burnout? In this episode of the Guerrilla HR Podcast, Becky sits down with Chemeeka Sparks from Travel Nation to challenge the traditional corporate retreat layout of shabby hotels and awkward trust falls.

Chemeeka shares her journey from individual trip planning to crafting high-touch corporate offsites and bucket-list incentive travel that builds authentic workpla...

What happens when a demanding full-time career collides with the responsibility of caring for aging parents? In this episode of the Guerrilla HR Podcast, host Becky Drozdz dives into the complex realities facing the "sandwich generation"—working professionals balancing children and full-time jobs while managing the care of senior family members.

Becky is joined by Cindy Hall, a senior living advisor with Next Level Senior Liv...

Are leaders born or are they made? I'm talking to strategist, speaker, and author Jim Carlough to explore his core philosophy: leaders aren't born, they are developed.

Drawing from over 30 years of experience transforming teams and mentoring professionals, Jim discusses his book, The Six Pillars of Effective Leadership: A Roadmap to Success. He shares real-world stories and actionable insights on how to move past performative manag...

We're exploring a topic becoming increasingly central to modern workplace dynamics: the intersection of professional leadership and the responsibilities of caring for aging parents. Becky is joined by Janice Goldmintz, founder of Talk About Aging and author of Getting Older But Not Old, to discuss the unique challenges faced by the "sandwich generation"—those balancing the needs of their children, their careers, and their eld...

In this episode of the Guerrilla HR Podcast, host Becky Drozdz sits down with Ivonne Ferneaux, founder of EmpowerUp Consulting, to explore why diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives are facing a significant backlash and how organizations can move toward more pragmatic, structural success.

Ivonne introduces her powerful concept of "Ghost Gaps"—the invisible organizational divides that determine who has power, infor...

I'm sitting down with Sandra Coker, founder and CEO of Human Power Solutions and author of People Profit. Together, they dive into the critical role of employee development within the total rewards framework and discuss why traditional leadership often fails to retain top talent.

Sandra shares her "boots on the ground" philosophy, arguing that leadership isn't just about style—it's about truly hearing employees and fixing bro...

We dive into the shifting landscape of the 2026 workplace. While recent reports show that fewer employees are planning to leave their organizations, only a fraction actually feel energized by their work.

I'm joined by Dr. David Shar, a consultant and University of Maryland researcher who specializes in why people fall out of love with their careers and how to rekindle that passion. David shares his non-traditional journey from runni...

"Forced fun is never fun." In this episode of the Guerrilla HR Podcast, host Becky sits down with Dr. Mickey Fitch-Collins, whose career path is anything but ordinary. From being the youngest professional bass fisherman in the U.S. to reaching the C-suite in higher education, Mickey explains why she walked away from it all to focus on the future of Learning and Development (L&D).

We dive into the "Great Discernment" and why 73%...

We're tackling the sobering reality of financial stability in 2026. Opening with data from the Bank of America Institute and Bankrate, Becky highlights that nearly a quarter of households are living paycheck to paycheck, with pessimism about the economic future reaching new highs.

Becky is joined by Brenton Harrison, a certified financial planner and founder of New Money, New Problems, to discuss how individuals can take control of...

In this episode of the Guerrilla HR podcast, Becky is joined by Traci Austin, Chief Strategy Consultant and owner of Elevated Talent Consulting. Together, they explore the evolving landscape of the workforce—specifically the rise of "new collar" jobs—and how organizations can identify and develop leadership potential in traditionally overlooked roles.Key Discussion Points

*The Rise of "New Collar" Jobs: Understanding the...

Becky is joined by Joni Hough, owner of Rise Up Consignments, to discuss how to dress for interviews in a changing workplace landscape. From "size-inclusive" professional wear to the nuances of tech vs. corporate attire, Joni shares expert advice on how to look your best without breaking the bank. The duo also covers the do's and don'ts of accessories, makeup, and even how to dress for your professional headshots.

• The "One Step ...

In this episode of the Guerrilla HR podcast, host Becky Drozdz sits down with Barry Wolfe, founder of Argos HR Solutions and author of It's All in Your Head. They challenge traditional HR "doom and gloom" by discussing why psychology-based tools often fail employees and why leadership should focus on "nouns" (deliverables) rather than "verbs" (tasks). From driving forklifts at thirteen to serving as a VP of HR, Barry shares how a "...

In this episode of the Guerrilla HR Podcast, Becky Drozdz is joined by IDEA (Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, and Accessibility) expert Michael Bach to challenge traditional approaches to diversity work. Michael explains why moving from a "social justice" or "moral" justification to a data-driven business case is the key to making organizational change truly "sticky". From the massive costs of employee turnover to opening new customer...

While many professionals are familiar with the "5 Love Languages," applying these concepts to a professional setting is a game-changer for retention and culture. In this episode of the Guerrilla HR Podcast, Becky Drozdz sits down with Dr. Paul White to discuss how managers can move beyond vague "good job" emails and connect with their teams on a deeper level. From navigating appreciation in a remote world to understanding generatio...