The Breakthrough Hiring Show: Recruiting and Talent Acquisition Conversations

Victoire Marty grew up in Paris, surrounded by art, history, and a culture that values intuition, which later shaped her approach to hiring for potential rather than pedigree. After studying art history, she went on to become a Talent Acquisition Lead at Lemlist, helping the company scale rapidly while managing an ambitious hiring load with a lean team. This conversation explores how trusting your gut, maintaining high standards, a...

Growing up as the oldest of five, Tristan Mackrory was a teacher long before the classroom, a dynamic that still shapes how he leads today. That path took him from teaching into talent acquisition, and now into his role as VP of People & Talent at Almedia, where he’s helped scale teams through hypergrowth. In this conversation, he shares what breaks first at 100+ employees, what to build early to avoid it, and why unconventiona...

Rona Shoaienia, grew up in Toronto after moving from Munich, and being surrounded by diverse cultures shaped how she sees people and potential. She studied psychology, traveled widely, and later experienced anxiety, an experience that reshaped how she leads and shows up at work. Now, as Head of Talent at Nue.io, she’s focused on building a well-oiled talent machine in hyper-growth where speed and quality have to coexist.

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Growing up in a small NYC apartment taught him resilience early, but traveling through Brazil and South Africa reshaped how he sees people and the world. From competing in sailing across countries to living nomadically, those experiences shaped a distinctive perspective on risk, trust, and opportunity. Colin Murphy now leads recruiting as Director at Method, where he focuses on what truly breaks through in hiring today by balancing...

A bad environment can make someone shut down fast. The right one can change everything. Kenzie Hoelscher, Leading Recruiting at AssemblyAI, saw that shift early and it still shapes how she thinks about people and performance today. We dive into what truly makes a great recruiter stand out, why chasing volume can quietly undermine quality, and how top candidates think differently. It’s a practical conversation on modern hiring, from...

What if the way people think about jobs, risk, and “security” has less to do with personality and more to do with the country that raised them? In this episode, Alison Eastaway, VP of People and Culture at Push Security, connects how Australia, France, and the US shape the way people make career moves, weigh startup risk, and decide whether to say yes to an offer. It’s part global perspective, part recruiting masterclass, with a me...

Gabrielle Mellon grew up in a big, competitive family that shaped her instinct to act, adapt, and figure things out fast. She carried that mindset into bold career moves and high-stakes roles, eventually leading Talent Acquisition and HR Operations at Axon through a period of rapid growth. In this conversation, she tackles what most leaders avoid: why being liked can hold you back, how to be direct without losing trust, and what it...

Rebecca Palmer lived in multiple places growing up, an experience that taught her to adapt fast and focus on finishing what she starts. Those instincts now shape her work as co-founder and head of financial guidance at Fruitful, where she helps people turn good intentions into automatic progress.

Connect with host James Mackey on LinkedIn! 

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

 
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Esra Huseyinzadegan grew up in Istanbul, a city that quickly teaches you to adapt, question assumptions, and see the world from multiple perspectives. Those instincts carried her from academic success in Turkey to leading Global Talent Acquisition at Namecheap, where she builds recruiting strategies for a truly global organization. In this conversation, she shares why context beats templates, how great leaders listen deeply, and wh...

Darien May, Head of Global Talent Acquisition at Eventbrite, and Jasmin May, Head of Talent at Verse, share how growing up in a military family shaped their perspective on excellence. The conversation connects disciplined standards, putting people first, and staying close to what matters most. In addition to sharing their story, they share their top TA takeaways from working in TA roles at startups and at Google. 

Book mentioned: Ou...

Emily Zahuta, Senior Director, Talent Acquisition at Horizon3.ai, highlights how a chaotic yet loving Bay Area upbringing and elite equestrian training shaped a builder’s mindset grounded in discipline and self-possession. Emily chose demanding environments, learned to center herself in high-stakes moments, and earned trust through steady execution. The conversation also redefines success as something that evolves alongside leaders...

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

Ashlye Hernandez, Executive Director of Global Talent Acquisition and Operations at nCino, examines how her path from rural North Carolina to executive leadership shaped a people-first approach grounded in respect, resilience, and direct communication. She reflects on early missteps that strengthened her assertiveness, the feedback systems and personal board of directors that fueled her growth, and why work-life balance is really a...

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

Jaasiel Bulnes, VP of Global Talent Acquisition at Workiva, reveals how growing up amid Miami’s constant motion and being raised in an immigrant household shaped Jasi’s resilience, resourcefulness, and commitment to earning trust. He reflects on the sponsors who advocated for him, the feedback that sharpened his self-awareness, and the shift from driving results himself to building leaders who can scale impact. The conversation pos...

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

Books mentioned:

- Good to Great by Jim Collins

- The Seven Habits of Highly...

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

Content mentioned:  

- The Big Quest...

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

Connect with host James Mackey on LinkedIn! 

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

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

Books ment...