What the HR! is an award-winning podcast. Presented by TCSHRM and hosted by Becky Lauseng, Jay Olson, and Lena Scullard. The podcast provides insights, strategies, and anecdotes that explore how to build better businesses through modern people practices and approaches. Topics covered include Organizational Development, Employee Engagement, Listening Strategies, Succession Planning, Performance Management, Company Culture, Transformation, Talent, and Leadership. INTERESTED IN SPONSORSHIP? Please…
Born and raised in Minnesota, Ed Kashmarek received a Bachelor’s degree in Economics from the University of Minnesota and an MBA in Finance from the Carlson School of Management. He was an economist with Wells Fargo for 10 years, working under the direction of Dr. Sung Won Sohn, Dr. Michael Swanson, Dr. Scott Anderson and Dr. Eugenio Aleman. Ed says his job was like getting paid to go to school!…
Howie Chan is the founder and chief strategist at The Behavioring Company , applying brand science and influence psychology to change human behavior for good. He has worked with Fortune 100 companies, startups and leaders over the past decade, including a $1.5 billion spinout from Merck. Howie was named the #1 LinkedIn creator worldwide in branding by Favikon in 2024. He also hosts the #1 podcast…
🎙️ In this episode of What the HR!, hosts Becky Lauseng and Lena Scullard are joined by Kristin Dean, Chief People & Administrative Officer at Huntress, for an inspiring conversation on intentional leadership and career acceleration. Kristin Dean leads the company’s global People organization. She partners closely with the executive leadership team to align talent and culture to the operations…
Jenny Cotie Kangas rebuilt her life from zero after a 2020 injury erased her memory, and built a methodology out of what worked. Now she runs Whiterock Road, a Builder Coach practice for applied AI, where she builds systems alongside clients and teaches them to build the next one. From what if to how. Guest: Jenny (JCK) Cotie Kangas - https://www.linkedin.com/in/jcotie/ Hosts: Becky Lauseng -…
Nicole is the Director of Human Resources at Bauer Design Build, where she leads people strategy with a focus on building people-first workplaces that align culture with business growth. Her work sits at the intersection of culture, operational reality, and mental health, creating environments where people feel seen, supported, and safe to speak up. With experience in highly structured industries…
Scott Mason—The Myth Slayer—is a 2x TEDx speaker, executive coach, attorney, author, and former senior New York City government and nonprofit executive. A graduate of Columbia Law School, Scott spent more than two decades leading complex, high-impact initiatives across government, legal, nonprofit, and mission-driven organizations. This included serving as second-in-command of New York City’s…
Laura King has had over 30,000 career conversations across two decades as an executive recruiter. She's sat with leaders at every level: the ones hitting their stride, the ones grinding without traction, and the ones doing everything right on paper and still falling short. She learned that the gap between potential and performance almost always comes down to the system around people, not the…
Nikki Peters is the Founder and CEO of Studio 9 to 5, a national workplace wellness company transforming how organizations support employee health, energy, and performance. With 20 years of experience in the corporate wellness sector, Studio 9 to 5 has partnered with companies across healthcare, government, finance, and commercial real estate to deliver programs that improve engagement,…
Amy Jacobson is an EI and human behaviour specialist, delivering emotional intelligence programs, keynotes & workshops across Australia internationally. She is a twice Wiley-published author of 'Emotional Intelligence: A simple and actionable guide to increasing performance, engagement and ownership', and the new book ‘The Emotional Intelligence Advantage: Mastering change and difficult…
Jeffery Robinson is the Senior Program Director at Build Wealth MN, where he leads financial education, coaching, workforce development, and housing counseling programs that help families build stability and generational wealth. His work is rooted in his personal mantra: “Because Somebody Did It for Me.” A graduate of the University of Minnesota–Morris, Jeffery co-founded Imani, a student…