They discuss why small businesses often treat HR as administrative rather than strategic; hidden financial costs of poor hiring and turnover; aligning people strategy with business goals and growth plans; improving recruiting processes beyond staffing agencies; designing structured onboarding and performance management systems; adapting to rapid change including AI and post-COVID workplace shifts; generational differences in workplace expectations and engagement; balancing flexibility with accountability in modern work environments; leveraging institutional knowledge from long-tenured employees; identifying when to bring in HR consultants and how audits drive strategic alignment; developing leadership capabilities as organizations scale beyond founder control. 
 

For HR teams who discuss this podcast in their team meetings, we've created a discussion starter PDF to help guide your conversation. Download it here https://goodmorninghr.com/EP### 

Good Morning, HR is brought to you by Imperative—Bulletproof Background Checks. For more information about our commitment to quality and excellent customer service, visit us at https://imperativeinfo.com.  

If you are an HRCI or SHRM-certified professional, this episode of Good Morning, HR has been pre-approved for half a recertification credit. To obtain the recertification information for this episode, visit https://goodmorninghr.com.  

About our Guest: 

Kelly Price is a dynamic leader and the passionate founder of ThriveHR. Kelly's career is a testament to her dedication and love for helping others, beginning with a Bachelor's degree in Hospitality Management from Kansas State University. 

Her professional journey started at Marriott International. It was here where she mastered the art of creating memorable experiences, igniting her passion for positively impacting people's lives, a core value she carries into her HR career. 

Kelly's enriching path in Human Resources started as a recruiter. She found joy in helping individuals secure jobs and the ability to impact their lives and families. Climbing the corporate ladder, Kelly served in various critical roles, including Benefit Manager, Director of HR, and VP of HR. In these positions, she played a crucial role in reducing turnover, enhancing employee satisfaction, and reshaping people and HR strategies. 

As a small business owner, Kelly now leverages her extensive experience to help other businesses excel through smart people decisions. With her energy and positivity, she ensures that every client interaction is impactful and meaningful. 

Kelly Price can be reached at 

www.thrivehrkc.com 

www.linkedin.com/in/kellypricethrivehr  

About Mike Coffey: 

Mike Coffey is an entrepreneur, licensed private investigator, business strategist, HR consultant, and registered yoga teacher. 

In 1999, he founded Imperative, a background investigations and due diligence firm helping risk-averse clients make well-informed decisions about the people they involve in their business. 

Imperative delivers in-depth employment background investigations, know-your-customer and anti-money laundering compliance, and due diligence investigations to more than 300 risk-averse corporate clients across the US, and, through its PFC Caregiver & Household Screening brand, many more private estates, family offices, and personal service agencies. 

Imperative has been named a Best Places to Work, the Texas Association of Business’ small business of the year, and is accredited by the Professional Background Screening Association.  

Mike shares his insight from 25+ years of HR-entrepreneurship on the Good Morning, HR podcast, where each week he talks to business leaders about bringing people together to create value for customers, shareholders, and community. 

Mike has been recognized as an Entrepreneur of Excellence by FW, Inc. and has twice been recognized as the North Texas HR Professional of the Year.  

Mike serves as a board member of a number of organizations, including the Texas State Council, where he serves Texas’ 31 SHRM chapters as State Director-Elect; Workforce Solutions for Tarrant County; the Texas Association of Business; and the Fort Worth Chamber of Commerce, where he is chair of the Talent Committee. 

Mike is a certified Senior Professional in Human Resources (SPHR) through the HR Certification Institute and a SHRM Senior Certified Professional (SHRM-SCP). He is also a Yoga Alliance registered yoga teacher (RYT-200) and teaches multiple times each week. 

Mike and his very patient wife of 29 years are empty nesters in Fort Worth.  

Learning Objectives: 

1. Understand the business impact of treating HR as a strategic function rather than administrative. 
2. Identify practical ways to improve hiring, onboarding, and retention in growing organizations. 
3. Apply people strategy principles to adapt to workforce, generational, and technological changes. 

They discuss legal risks of AI-driven hiring tools and potential age discrimination claims; nuances of disparate impact versus disparate treatment under employment law; employer responsibilities when using third-party HR technology platforms; cybersecurity threats targeting HR teams through fake job applications; evolving tactics like deepfakes and identity fraud in hiring processes; ADA compliance and handling employee health disclosures appropriately; importance of the interactive process in workplace accommodations; legal pitfalls of paternalistic employment decisions; wage deduction laws and why punitive pay docking is unlawful; and broader employee relations risks from poorly designed workplace policies. 

For HR teams who discuss this podcast in their team meetings, we've created a discussion starter PDF to help guide your conversation. Download it here https://goodmorninghr.com/EP245 

Media mentioned in this podcast:  

Workday takes partial loss as judge refuses to dismiss claims in AI bias lawsuit | HR Dive 

Fake Job Applications Used to Deliver Malware Targeting HR Teams - The420.in 

EEOC: Restaurant fired worker who had seizure to allow her to ‘focus on’ her health | HR Dive 

Is it legal for company to deduct wages for breaking internal rules? : r/AskLegal 

Good Morning, HR is brought to you by Imperative—Bulletproof Background Checks. For more information about our commitment to quality and excellent customer service, visit us at https://imperativeinfo.com.  

If you are an HRCI or SHRM-certified professional, this episode of Good Morning, HR has been pre-approved for half a recertification credit. To obtain the recertification information for this episode, visit https://goodmorninghr.com.  

About our Guest: 

Patrick Richter helps employers and executives navigate high-stakes employment and workplace issues with practical, business-minded legal guidance. 

He helps employers and executives navigate high-stakes employment and workplace issues with practical, business-minded legal guidance.  

Patrick is an experienced employment attorney, litigator, and certified mediator, with a practice that spans first-chair trial work, strategic counseling, and transactional support. He advises on the full range of day-to-day HR and workforce issues, and he regularly partners with business leaders during critical moments—from growth and restructuring to disputes that threaten people, culture, or enterprise value. 

Patrick Richter can be reached at 

https://rigbyslack.com/attorney/pat-richter/
www.linkedin.com/in/pat-richter-986b19 

About Mike Coffey: 

Mike Coffey is an entrepreneur, licensed private investigator, business strategist, HR consultant, and registered yoga teacher. 

In 1999, he founded Imperative, a background investigations and due diligence firm helping risk-averse clients make well-informed decisions about the people they involve in their business. 

Imperative delivers in-depth employment background investigations, know-your-customer and anti-money laundering compliance, and due diligence investigations to more than 300 risk-averse corporate clients across the US, and, through its PFC Caregiver & Household Screening brand, many more private estates, family offices, and personal service agencies. 

Imperative has been named a Best Places to Work, the Texas Association of Business’ small business of the year, and is accredited by the Professional Background Screening Association.  

Mike shares his insight from 25+ years of HR-entrepreneurship on the Good Morning, HR podcast, where each week he talks to business leaders about bringing people together to create value for customers, shareholders, and community. 

Mike has been recognized as an Entrepreneur of Excellence by FW, Inc. and has twice been recognized as the North Texas HR Professional of the Year.  

Mike serves as a board member of a number of organizations, including the Texas State Council, where he serves Texas’ 31 SHRM chapters as State Director-Elect; Workforce Solutions for Tarrant County; the Texas Association of Business; and the Fort Worth Chamber of Commerce, where he is chair of the Talent Committee. 

Mike is a certified Senior Professional in Human Resources (SPHR) through the HR Certification Institute and a SHRM Senior Certified Professional (SHRM-SCP). He is also a Yoga Alliance registered yoga teacher (RYT-200) and teaches multiple times each week. 

Mike and his very patient wife of 29 years are empty nesters in Fort Worth.  

Learning Objectives: 

1. Understand how AI-driven hiring tools can create unintended legal exposure. 
2. Identify proper employer responses to employee health disclosures under ADA. 
3. Implement heightened cybersecurity training to guard against new attack methods. 

They discuss why AI represents a step-change disruption compared to past technology waves; growing workforce resistance and fear surrounding AI adoption in organizations; how enterprise AI systems will soon integrate SOPs, training, and operational knowledge; the neuroscience behind fear, uncertainty, and cognitive rigidity during change; why leaders must develop cognitive adaptability and emotional regulation; the concept of neuro-adaptive leadership and upgrading the brain’s operating system; attuning to disruption through proactive awareness and disruption scanning; decoding thought patterns and identifying hidden biases that block innovation; aligning leadership identity with values to guide behavior under pressure; using reflection, reframing, and replacement to rewire thinking through neuroplasticity; and how leaders can model adaptive thinking to help teams thrive during uncertainty. 

For HR teams who discuss this podcast in their team meetings, we've created a discussion starter PDF to help guide your conversation. Download it here https://goodmorninghr.com/EP244 

Good Morning, HR is brought to you by Imperative—Bulletproof Background Checks. For more information about our commitment to quality and excellent customer service, visit us at https://imperativeinfo.com.  

If you are an HRCI or SHRM-certified professional, this episode of Good Morning, HR has been pre-approved for half a recertification credit. To obtain the recertification information for this episode, visit https://goodmorninghr.com.  

About our Guest: 

Dr. Jones equips leaders and teams with science-based strategies to activate peak performance, drive engagement, and thrive in the age of disruption. He is a leading authority on NeuroAdaptive Leadership™ and the neuroscience of performance, helping organizations rewire the way their leaders think, act, and inspire others. Dr. Jones is an Organizational Psychologist, executive coach, and international keynote speaker.  

Drawing from cutting-edge neuroscience and more than 150 years of motivation and performance research, Dr. Jones has developed a practical and engaging approach to leadership that helps people understand and optimize how the brain drives behavior, influence, and decision-making. His approach has been used by Fortune 500 companies and forward-thinking organizations around the world, helping empower leaders to bring out the best in themselves and those they lead. 

As the founder and CEO of LeaderPath, Dr. Jones has worked with some of the world’s most recognized brands, including Microsoft, IBM, Porsche, AT&T, American Airlines, McKesson, Seagate Technology, and the Dallas Cowboys. His work has been featured by Inc. Magazine, FOX, CBS, ABC, and PBS, and his thought leadership continues to shape how modern leaders adapt, connect, and perform in an ever-changing world. 

He is the two-time best-selling author of "Activator: Using Brain Science to Boost Motivation, Deepen Engagement, and Supercharge Performance" and "28 Days to a Motivated Team."  

Prior to founding LeaderPath, Dr. Jones led executive education at AT&T, where he was responsible for developing more than 6,000 leaders globally, contributing to AT&T being named the #1 Learning Organization in America by Chief Learning Officer Magazine. 

Outside of his work, Jason enjoys traveling, outdoor adventures, spending time with his grown children, and fueling his passion for helping others live and lead with purpose, resilience, and flow. 

Dr. Jason Jones can be reached at 

https://drjasonjones.com  

https://www.linkedin.com/in/DrJasonJones1  

https://www.instagram.com/drjjones  

https://www.youtube.com/c/DrJasonJones1  

About Mike Coffey: 

Mike Coffey is an entrepreneur, licensed private investigator, business strategist, HR consultant, and registered yoga teacher. 

In 1999, he founded Imperative, a background investigations and due diligence firm helping risk-averse clients make well-informed decisions about the people they involve in their business. 

Imperative delivers in-depth employment background investigations, know-your-customer and anti-money laundering compliance, and due diligence investigations to more than 300 risk-averse corporate clients across the US, and, through its PFC Caregiver & Household Screening brand, many more private estates, family offices, and personal service agencies. 

Imperative has been named a Best Places to Work, the Texas Association of Business’ small business of the year, and is accredited by the Professional Background Screening Association.  

Mike shares his insight from 25+ years of HR-entrepreneurship on the Good Morning, HR podcast, where each week he talks to business leaders about bringing people together to create value for customers, shareholders, and community. 

Mike has been recognized as an Entrepreneur of Excellence by FW, Inc. and has twice been recognized as the North Texas HR Professional of the Year.  

Mike serves as a board member of a number of organizations, including the Texas State Council, where he serves Texas’ 31 SHRM chapters as State Director-Elect; Workforce Solutions for Tarrant County; the Texas Association of Business; and the Fort Worth Chamber of Commerce, where he is chair of the Talent Committee. 

Mike is a certified Senior Professional in Human Resources (SPHR) through the HR Certification Institute and a SHRM Senior Certified Professional (SHRM-SCP). He is also a Yoga Alliance registered yoga teacher (RYT-200) and teaches multiple times each week. 

Mike and his very patient wife of 28 years are empty nesters in Fort Worth.  

Learning Objectives: 

1. Understand why AI disruption is fundamentally different from previous technology shifts in the workplace. 
2. Recognize cognitive rigidity and emotional responses that block effective adaptation to change. 
3. Apply neuro-adaptive leadership techniques to help teams respond productively to rapid disruption. 

They discuss the evolution of personality assessments from paper-based tools to data-driven platforms; appropriate and inappropriate uses of DISC and Predictive Index in hiring decisions; leveraging behavioral data to ask better interview questions; customizing onboarding to match communication preferences and learning styles; aligning managers and employees through mutual self-awareness; using profiles to strengthen team composition and collaboration; applying personality insights to performance coaching conversations; reducing turnover by adapting leadership styles to employee needs; helping young people gain early self-awareness for career decisions; and identifying the “personality” of an organization through mission statements and customer feedback. 

For HR teams who discuss this podcast in their team meetings, we've created a discussion starter PDF to help guide your conversation. Download it here https://goodmorninghr.com/EP243 

Good Morning, HR is brought to you by Imperative—Bulletproof Background Checks. For more information about our commitment to quality and excellent customer service, visit us at https://imperativeinfo.com.  

If you are an HRCI or SHRM-certified professional, this episode of Good Morning, HR has been pre-approved for half a recertification credit. To obtain the recertification information for this episode, visit https://goodmorninghr.com.  

About our Guest: 

Since 1995 Dan Dalton has worked in various HR roles as Trainer, Recruiter, HR Generalist, Manager, Director and Employee Relations Consultant. 

Dan has worked in the Banking industry with JP Morgan Chase and Southwest Bank, the retail industry with Neiman Marcus and the health care industry with, Texas Health Resources, Voyager Hospice Care, McKesson Specialty Health, Texas Oncology, EVP Eye Care and in manufacturing with Oil States Industries. Most recently, Dan has founded P3:14 Consulting focusing on helping organizations and individuals strive to reach their potential. Dan has held a Human Resources professional certification since 2005 and presently holds a HRCI Senior HR Professional (SPHR) certification as well as a SHRM-SCP certification. 

Dan earned a BBA in Marketing with a minor in Economics from Southwestern University and an MS in HR Management from University of Texas at Arlington (UTA). Dan has served with Fort Worth HR (local SHRM chapter) as board member and Past President and has served as a member of the Board of Directors of the Christian Women’s Job Corp of Greater Arlington where he facilitates workshops on resume writing and interview preparation. 

Dan has been married to Brandi since 1987 and has a son, Calvin James (CJ), daughter-in-law Caiti and two grandchildren Cannon and Charlie. Dan also enjoys binge watching Netflix and Prime shows, ski vacations and any time spent in the mountains. He is an avid baseball fan and has played softball and golf most of his life. Dan and his family are active members at First Baptist Church of Arlington, where he is a member of the choir and contemporary praise team and a Sunday School teacher. 

Dan Dalton can be reached at 

https://p314consulting.com  

https://www.linkedin.com/in/dandaltonsphr  

About Mike Coffey: 

Mike Coffey is an entrepreneur, licensed private investigator, business strategist, HR consultant, and registered yoga teacher. 

In 1999, he founded Imperative, a background investigations and due diligence firm helping risk-averse clients make well-informed decisions about the people they involve in their business. 

Imperative delivers in-depth employment background investigations, know-your-customer and anti-money laundering compliance, and due diligence investigations to more than 300 risk-averse corporate clients across the US, and, through its PFC Caregiver & Household Screening brand, many more private estates, family offices, and personal service agencies. 

Imperative has been named a Best Places to Work, the Texas Association of Business’ small business of the year, and is accredited by the Professional Background Screening Association.  

Mike shares his insight from 25+ years of HR-entrepreneurship on the Good Morning, HR podcast, where each week he talks to business leaders about bringing people together to create value for customers, shareholders, and community. 

Mike has been recognized as an Entrepreneur of Excellence by FW, Inc. and has twice been recognized as the North Texas HR Professional of the Year.  

Mike serves as a board member of a number of organizations, including the Texas State Council, where he serves Texas’ 31 SHRM chapters as State Director-Elect; Workforce Solutions for Tarrant County; the Texas Association of Business; and the Fort Worth Chamber of Commerce, where he is chair of the Talent Committee. 

Mike is a certified Senior Professional in Human Resources (SPHR) through the HR Certification Institute and a SHRM Senior Certified Professional (SHRM-SCP). He is also a Yoga Alliance registered yoga teacher (RYT-200) and teaches multiple times each week. 

Mike and his very patient wife of 28 years are empty nesters in Fort Worth.  

Learning Objectives: 

1. Identify appropriate uses of personality assessments in hiring and performance management. 
2. Apply behavioral profile insights to improve onboarding and manager-employee communication. 
3. Evaluate team composition and organizational alignment using personality data. 

They discuss the loneliness epidemic and its impact on employee wellbeing; differences between social isolation and emotional loneliness; remote work and the rise of frictionless digital experiences; Gallup and BetterUp data on workplace friendships and retention; the decline of socializing with coworkers outside work; practical rituals like high-low check-ins during meetings; the cultural effects of hybrid work and hot desking; personalization of workspaces to reinforce belonging; AI disruption of career paths and entry-level roles; the growing value of human-centered leadership skills; and a four-step model for building meaningful professional relationships. 

Lee Colan’s next book “The Connection Key: How to Unlock Your Positive Impact and Enhanced Wellbeing” releases in September. 

For HR teams who discuss this podcast in their team meetings, we've created a discussion starter PDF to help guide your conversation. Download it here https://goodmorninghr.com/EP242 

Good Morning, HR is brought to you by Imperative—Bulletproof Background Checks. For more information about our commitment to quality and excellent customer service, visit us at https://imperativeinfo.com.  

If you are an HRCI or SHRM-certified professional, this episode of Good Morning, HR has been pre-approved for half a recertification credit. To obtain the recertification information for this episode, visit https://goodmorninghr.com.  

About our Guest: 

Lee J. Colan, Ph.D. is Lee is an organizational psychologist and CEO advisor. He possesses a rare combination of skills as a corporate executive, business consultant, thought leader, prolific author, artful facilitator, and engaging presenter.  

Lee applies an in-depth understanding of business, science, people, and organizations to help leaders and organizations grow. As a result, he quickly helps leaders bring order where there is chaos, clarity where there is ambiguity and growth where there is decline. 

Lee is a John C. Maxwell Leadership Award finalist and Thinkers50 nominee for Top Management Thinker globally. 

He has authored 16 popular leadership books that have been translated into 10 languages, including the bestselling Engaging the Hearts and Minds of All Your Employees, Stick with It: Mastering the Art of Adherence and Healthy Leadership. He has also created over 50 products that equip and encourage leaders at every level. 

Expertise 

CEO advisement, executive coaching, strategy planning and execution, employee engagement, keynote speaking, leadership training. 

Education 

Doctoral degree, Organizational Psychology, George Washington University 

Bachelor’s degree, Psychology and Communications, Summa Cum Laude, Florida State University 

Background 

Lee brings 25 years of hands-on industry and consulting experience to his clients. He worked in various leadership roles with American Airlines, Sandoz (Novartis) and FoxMeyer (McKesson). He also held consulting positions with two premier firms: Booz, Allen & Hamilton and Mercer. His last corporate post was as Vice President for Physician Reliance Network (U.S. Oncology), one of the fastest growing NASDAQ companies at the time. 

Lee currently serves as an Independent Director and member of the Personnel Committee for Pacific Seafood Group, the largest vertically integrated seafood company in North America. He is a former director for Aztec Systems who was ultimately sold to a private equity firm. He also served on the Advisory Board for ASSET InterTech who was acquired in 2021 by Constellation Software. 

Lee Colan can be reached at 

https://thelgroup.com 

https://www.linkedin.com/in/leecolan  

https://www.facebook.com/TheLGroupInc  

https://www.instagram.com/leecolan  

https://www.youtube.com/user/LeeJColan  

About Mike Coffey: 

Mike Coffey is an entrepreneur, licensed private investigator, business strategist, HR consultant, and registered yoga teacher. 

In 1999, he founded Imperative, a background investigations and due diligence firm helping risk-averse clients make well-informed decisions about the people they involve in their business. 

Imperative delivers in-depth employment background investigations, know-your-customer and anti-money laundering compliance, and due diligence investigations to more than 300 risk-averse corporate clients across the US, and, through its PFC Caregiver & Household Screening brand, many more private estates, family offices, and personal service agencies. 

Imperative has been named a Best Places to Work, the Texas Association of Business’ small business of the year, and is accredited by the Professional Background Screening Association.  

Mike shares his insight from 25+ years of HR-entrepreneurship on the Good Morning, HR podcast, where each week he talks to business leaders about bringing people together to create value for customers, shareholders, and community. 

Mike has been recognized as an Entrepreneur of Excellence by FW, Inc. and has twice been recognized as the North Texas HR Professional of the Year.  

Mike serves as a board member of a number of organizations, including the Texas State Council, where he serves Texas’ 31 SHRM chapters as State Director-Elect; Workforce Solutions for Tarrant County; the Texas Association of Business; and the Fort Worth Chamber of Commerce, where he is chair of the Talent Committee. 

Mike is a certified Senior Professional in Human Resources (SPHR) through the HR Certification Institute and a SHRM Senior Certified Professional (SHRM-SCP). He is also a Yoga Alliance registered yoga teacher (RYT-200) and teaches multiple times each week. 

Mike and his very patient wife of 29 years are empty nesters in Fort Worth.  

Learning Objectives: 

1. Identify the business impact of workplace loneliness and disconnection. 
2. Apply a simple four-step model to strengthen team relationships. 
3. Embed connection-building rituals into meetings and daily leadership practices. 

They discuss HR’s responsibility to conduct impartial workplace investigations based on evidence; the misconception that HR exists primarily as employee advocates; aligning HR strategy with revenue, margin, and organizational mission; the decline of transactional HR through automation and outsourcing; fractional HR leadership for small and midsize businesses; managing autonomous AI agents within organizational structures; developing AI operational literacy and new leadership competencies; redefining KPIs in an AI-enabled workplace; and best practices for addressing employment gaps during hiring. 

For HR teams who discuss this podcast in their team meetings, we've created a discussion starter PDF to help guide your conversation. Download it here https://goodmorninghr.com/EP241 

Media mentioned in this podcast:  

If HR Isn’t There to Help You, Who Is HR For? — Dallas Employment Lawyer Blog — February 9, 2026 

To Thrive in the AI Era, Companies Need Agent Managers 

How do explain a gap year taken for mental health. : r/jobsearchhacks 

Good Morning, HR is brought to you by Imperative—Bulletproof Background Checks. For more information about our commitment to quality and excellent customer service, visit us at https://imperativeinfo.com.  

If you are an HRCI or SHRM-certified professional, this episode of Good Morning, HR has been pre-approved for half a recertification credit. To obtain the recertification information for this episode, visit https://goodmorninghr.com.  

About our Guest: 

Neil Katz is the founder and CEO of Exceptional HR Solutions, a leading provider of fractional HR leadership for small and mid-sized businesses across the U.S. With over 25 years of experience at the intersection of people and business strategy, Neil leads a national team of 20+ seasoned HR partners dedicated to helping companies scale, evolve, and thrive. His firm delivers end-to-end HR solutions—from talent acquisition and organizational development to compliance, culture, and leadership alignment. 

Under Neil’s leadership, Exceptional HR Solutions has become a go-to resource for growth-focused companies in industries ranging from retail and healthcare to manufacturing, technology, and professional services. He is widely recognized for building agile, scalable HR infrastructures that empower leadership, strengthen teams, and deliver measurable business impact. 

While his primary focus is on growing Exceptional HR Solutions, Neil also serves selectively as an executive advisor, helping founders, CEOs, and leadership teams navigate strategic and organizational change. He holds an MBA from Amberton University, a BA in Business Administration from Texas Lutheran University, and advanced training in executive coaching from the University of Texas at Dallas. He is SHRM-certified and respected for his strategic insight and people-first leadership style. 

Neil is a frequent guest on industry podcasts and a sought-after speaker at conferences and webinars, where he shares practical insights on fractional leadership, scalable HR strategies, and the evolving role of human resources in high-growth environments. 

Outside of his professional work, Neil serves on the board of Hope International, a Dallas-based adoption agency, and previously served on the board of directors at Halo Senior Care, a for-profit business focused on elder care. He has also served with nonprofit organizations such as Gift of Adoption, reflecting his deep commitment to service and community. 

Neil Katz can be reached at  

https://exceptionalhrsolutions.com 

https://www.linkedin.com/company/exceptional-hr-solutions 

https://www.facebook.com/exceptionalhrS 

https://www.instagram.com/exceptional_hr_solutions_ 

https://twitter.com/exceptional_hrs 

https://www.youtube.com/@ExceptionalHRSolutions 

About Mike Coffey: 

Mike Coffey is an entrepreneur, licensed private investigator, business strategist, HR consultant, and registered yoga teacher. 

In 1999, he founded Imperative, a background investigations and due diligence firm helping risk-averse clients make well-informed decisions about the people they involve in their business. 

Imperative delivers in-depth employment background investigations, know-your-customer and anti-money laundering compliance, and due diligence investigations to more than 300 risk-averse corporate clients across the US, and, through its PFC Caregiver & Household Screening brand, many more private estates, family offices, and personal service agencies. 

Imperative has been named a Best Places to Work, the Texas Association of Business’ small business of the year, and is accredited by the Professional Background Screening Association.  

Mike shares his insight from 25+ years of HR-entrepreneurship on the Good Morning, HR podcast, where each week he talks to business leaders about bringing people together to create value for customers, shareholders, and community. 

Mike has been recognized as an Entrepreneur of Excellence by FW, Inc. and has twice been recognized as the North Texas HR Professional of the Year.  

Mike serves as a board member of a number of organizations, including the Texas State Council, where he serves Texas’ 31 SHRM chapters as State Director-Elect; Workforce Solutions for Tarrant County; the Texas Association of Business; and the Fort Worth Chamber of Commerce, where he is chair of the Talent Committee. 

Mike is a certified Senior Professional in Human Resources (SPHR) through the HR Certification Institute and a SHRM Senior Certified Professional (SHRM-SCP). He is also a Yoga Alliance registered yoga teacher (RYT-200) and teaches multiple times each week. 

Mike and his very patient wife of 28 years are empty nesters in Fort Worth.  

Learning Objectives: 

1. Understand how HR can balance legal compliance with business performance and employee trust. 
2. Identify emerging le...

They discuss quiet quitting and job hugging trends in uncertain economic times; intrinsic versus extrinsic motivation using the car engine analogy; why pay and bonuses fail as long-term engagement strategies; the critical link between trust, autonomy, and employee engagement; why trustworthiness matters more than intelligence or effort; how micromanagement destroys creativity and productivity; designing roles that fit personality and tolerance for repetitive work; diagnosing turnover caused by boring or monotonous jobs; involving employees in organizational change initiatives; rebuilding lost trust through accountability and ownership; and why leadership should be treated as a profession rather than a promotion. 

For HR teams who discuss this podcast in their team meetings, we've created a discussion starter PDF to help guide your conversation. Download it here https://goodmorninghr.com/EP240 

Good Morning, HR is brought to you by Imperative—Bulletproof Background Checks. For more information about our commitment to quality and excellent customer service, visit us at https://imperativeinfo.com.  

If you are an HRCI or SHRM-certified professional, this episode of Good Morning, HR has been pre-approved for half a recertification credit. To obtain the recertification information for this episode, visit https://goodmorninghr.com.  

About our Guest: 

Dr. Yoram Solomon is one of the world’s leading experts on trust. He’s the author of The Book of Trust and The Trust Premium, host of The Trust Show podcast, and creator of the Trust Habits® process. A 3-time TEDx speaker and founder of the Innovation Culture Institute®, Dr. Solomon has worked with organizations like AT&T, Dannon, Northrop Grumman, and HR.com. His research-backed, no-BS approach challenges conventional wisdom on leadership, culture, and motivation—and replaces it with brutally honest, practical strategies that actually work. With a PhD in organization and management, and a background that spans tech, military, law, and education, he brings a rare combination of academic depth and real-world experience. Whether he’s on stage, on TV, or in the boardroom, his message is simple: trust isn’t fluffy—it’s measurable, learnable, and the most powerful driver of performance. 

Dr. Yoram Solomon can be reached at: 

https://www.yoramsolomon.com  

https://www.linkedin.com/in/yoramsolomon  

https://www.instagram.com/yoramsolomon  

https://www.facebook.com/TheBookofTrust 

https://x.com/yoramsolomon  

https://www.youtube.com/@TheTrustShow  

About Mike Coffey: 

Mike Coffey is an entrepreneur, licensed private investigator, business strategist, HR consultant, and registered yoga teacher. 

In 1999, he founded Imperative, a background investigations and due diligence firm helping risk-averse clients make well-informed decisions about the people they involve in their business. 

Imperative delivers in-depth employment background investigations, know-your-customer and anti-money laundering compliance, and due diligence investigations to more than 300 risk-averse corporate clients across the US, and, through its PFC Caregiver & Household Screening brand, many more private estates, family offices, and personal service agencies. 

Imperative has been named a Best Places to Work, the Texas Association of Business’ small business of the year, and is accredited by the Professional Background Screening Association.  

Mike shares his insight from 25+ years of HR-entrepreneurship on the Good Morning, HR podcast, where each week he talks to business leaders about bringing people together to create value for customers, shareholders, and community. 

Mike has been recognized as an Entrepreneur of Excellence by FW, Inc. and has twice been recognized as the North Texas HR Professional of the Year.  

Mike serves as a board member of a number of organizations, including the Texas State Council, where he serves Texas’ 31 SHRM chapters as State Director-Elect; Workforce Solutions for Tarrant County; the Texas Association of Business; and the Fort Worth Chamber of Commerce, where he is chair of the Talent Committee. 

Mike is a certified Senior Professional in Human Resources (SPHR) through the HR Certification Institute and a SHRM Senior Certified Professional (SHRM-SCP). He is also a Yoga Alliance registered yoga teacher (RYT-200) and teaches multiple times each week. 

Mike and his very patient wife of 28 years are empty nesters in Fort Worth.  

Learning Objectives: 

1. Differentiate between intrinsic and extrinsic motivation in workplace performance. 
2. Identify how trust and autonomy directly impact employee engagement and retention. 
3. Apply practical strategies to rebuild trust and increase motivation during organizational change. 

They discuss ineffective workplace communication and recurring problems; intuitive leadership versus inclusive decision-making; defining root causes instead of treating symptoms; creating buy-in through clarity, trust, and shared language; productive conflict and psychological safety on teams; accountability, execution, and avoiding chaos in organizations; leadership energy, burnout prevention, and sustainable performance. 

For HR teams who discuss this podcast in their team meetings, we've created a discussion starter PDF to help guide your conversation. Download it here https://goodmorninghr.com/EP239 

Carrie’s book “ALL IN: A Working Mom’s Unapologetic Quest for a Juicy Life” can be found here https://www.carriefabris.com/bookstore  

Good Morning, HR is brought to you by Imperative—Bulletproof Background Checks. For more information about our commitment to quality and excellent customer service, visit us at https://imperativeinfo.com.  

If you are an HRCI or SHRM-certified professional, this episode of Good Morning, HR has been pre-approved for half a recertification credit. To obtain the recertification information for this episode, visit https://goodmorninghr.com.  

About our Guest: 

Carrie Fabris is the founder and CEO of CareerFrame, a leadership development and executive coaching firm that helps high-performing leaders become energized, aligned, and execution-focused. Known for her fast trust and bold clarity, Carrie works with VPs and executive teams navigating growth, succession, and culture shifts. 

She brings 20+ years of corporate experience with companies like Google, Travelocity, and Sabre—and for the past 10 years, coaches and advises leaders using her signature FRAMEit Method™, which blends CliftonStrengths®, EQ-i®, Situational Leadership and real-world leadership systems that emphasize a whole-human leadership approach to bring balance for busy people leaders. Carrie is especially passionate about helping leaders have hard conversations, build trust fast, communicate effectively and create accountability that actually energizes. She graduated from UT Austin and resides in Dallas, TX. 

Carrie Fabris can be reached at  

https://www.careerframe.com  

https://www.linkedin.com/in/cfabris-reframe-coaching-training https://www.carriefabris.com/bookstore 

https://www.instagram.com/cdfabris 

https://www.facebook.com/chiefreframer 

https://x.com/yourcareerframe 

hello@carriefabris.com 

About Mike Coffey: 

Mike Coffey is an entrepreneur, licensed private investigator, business strategist, HR consultant, and registered yoga teacher. 

In 1999, he founded Imperative, a background investigations and due diligence firm helping risk-averse clients make well-informed decisions about the people they involve in their business. 

Imperative delivers in-depth employment background investigations, know-your-customer and anti-money laundering compliance, and due diligence investigations to more than 300 risk-averse corporate clients across the US, and, through its PFC Caregiver & Household Screening brand, many more private estates, family offices, and personal service agencies. 

Imperative has been named a Best Places to Work, the Texas Association of Business’ small business of the year, and is accredited by the Professional Background Screening Association.  

Mike shares his insight from 25+ years of HR-entrepreneurship on the Good Morning, HR podcast, where each week he talks to business leaders about bringing people together to create value for customers, shareholders, and community. 

Mike has been recognized as an Entrepreneur of Excellence by FW, Inc. and has twice been recognized as the North Texas HR Professional of the Year.  

Mike serves as a board member of a number of organizations, including the Texas State Council, where he serves Texas’ 31 SHRM chapters as State Director-Elect; Workforce Solutions for Tarrant County; the Texas Association of Business; and the Fort Worth Chamber of Commerce, where he is chair of the Talent Committee. 

Mike is a certified Senior Professional in Human Resources (SPHR) through the HR Certification Institute and a SHRM Senior Certified Professional (SHRM-SCP). He is also a Yoga Alliance registered yoga teacher (RYT-200) and teaches multiple times each week. 

Mike and his very patient wife of 28 years are empty nesters in Fort Worth.  

Learning Objectives: 

1. Identify why unresolved communication leads to recurring organizational problems. 
2. Apply practical leadership behaviors that create alignment, buy-in, and accountability. 
3. Use frameworks and assessments to improve problem solving, execution, and team trust. 

They discuss defining skills-based hiring beyond degree proxies; redesigning recruiting and applicant tracking systems; training hiring managers to reduce bias and risk aversion; using AI, simulations, and assessments to evaluate real skills; improving onboarding for nontraditional hires; addressing automation’s impact on entry-level roles; balancing degrees, credentials, and experiential learning; and elevating social and learning skills as core capabilities in the future workforce. 

For HR teams who discuss this podcast in their team meetings, we've created a discussion starter PDF to help guide your conversation. Download it here https://goodmorninghr.com/EP238 

Good Morning, HR is brought to you by Imperative—Bulletproof Background Checks. For more information about our commitment to quality and excellent customer service, visit us at https://imperativeinfo.com.  

If you are an HRCI or SHRM-certified professional, this episode of Good Morning, HR has been pre-approved for half a recertification credit. To obtain the recertification information for this episode, visit https://goodmorninghr.com.  

About our Guest: 

Joseph Fuller is Professor of Management Practice at the Harvard Business School and one of the nation’s leading authorities on the future of work. He co-leads the Managing the Future of Work Project at Harvard Business School. He creates research of direct relevance to decision makers in business and government, including the impact of technology and demographic changes on the workforce, the rise of the gig economy, global talent flows, and the emergence of the care economy. The Managing the Future of Work podcast that he co-hosts has been downloaded over 2 million times. He also co-leads the Harvard Project on the Workforce, a collaboration between the Harvard schools of business, government and education. It focuses on issues related to lower skilled workers, including career pathways and the causes of income polarization and occupational segregation.  

Prior to joining the faculty, he was a founder, first employee and long-time CEO of the global strategy consulting firm Monitor Group, now Monitor-Deloitte.  

Joe is a widely published author. His work has appeared in the Harvard Business Review, the Sloan Management Review, the Wall Street Journal, the Financial Times, the Washington Post and the New York Times.  

Joe is a magna cum laude graduate of Harvard College and of Harvard Business School. He is a director of Aera Technology, Hakluyt and Company and Helios Consulting, Chairman of the Board of Trustees of Western Governors University and a Senior Visiting Fellow at the American Enterprise Institute. 

Joseph Fuller can be reached at  

https://www.hbs.edu/faculty/Pages/profile.aspx?facId=123284 

Additional Resources: 

Charter Workplace Summit 2025: AI and entry-level workers 

The Future of Work Series: The Effects of AI on Talent Management and Workforce Development - Video | OpenAI Forum 

MINDWORKS Season 4 Transcripts – Aptima Season 4 transcript under the title “AI and the Future of Work”  

About Mike Coffey: 

Mike Coffey is an entrepreneur, licensed private investigator, business strategist, HR consultant, and registered yoga teacher. 

In 1999, he founded Imperative, a background investigations and due diligence firm helping risk-averse clients make well-informed decisions about the people they involve in their business. 

Imperative delivers in-depth employment background investigations, know-your-customer and anti-money laundering compliance, and due diligence investigations to more than 300 risk-averse corporate clients across the US, and, through its PFC Caregiver & Household Screening brand, many more private estates, family offices, and personal service agencies. 

Imperative has been named a Best Places to Work, the Texas Association of Business’ small business of the year, and is accredited by the Professional Background Screening Association.  

Mike shares his insight from 25+ years of HR-entrepreneurship on the Good Morning, HR podcast, where each week he talks to business leaders about bringing people together to create value for customers, shareholders, and community. 

Mike has been recognized as an Entrepreneur of Excellence by FW, Inc. and has twice been recognized as the North Texas HR Professional of the Year.  

Mike serves as a board member of a number of organizations, including the Texas State Council, where he serves Texas’ 31 SHRM chapters as State Director-Elect; Workforce Solutions for Tarrant County; the Texas Association of Business; and the Fort Worth Chamber of Commerce, where he is chair of the Talent Committee. 

Mike is a certified Senior Professional in Human Resources (SPHR) through the HR Certification Institute and a SHRM Senior Certified Professional (SHRM-SCP). He is also a Yoga Alliance registered yoga teacher (RYT-200) and teaches multiple times each week. 

Mike and his very patient wife of 28 years are empty nesters in Fort Worth.  

Learning Objectives:  

1. Understand what differentiates skills-based hiring from traditional credential-based recruiting 
2. Identify practical changes employers must make to hiring processes, interviews, and ATS systems 
3. Evaluate when college degrees add value and when alternative signals of capability are more effective 

In episode 237, Coffey and DeDe Church discuss recent news items about how shifting economic conditions, technology, and leadership gaps are reshaping the employment landscape. 

They discuss the realities of a “low-hire, low-fire” labor market; dehumanizing hiring processes and AI-driven recruiting tools; challenges facing early-career workers and liberal arts graduates; emerging roles created by artificial intelligence; the growing importance of soft skills like problem solving and communication; workforce restructuring, layoffs, and job hugging; employee disengagement and the great detachment; why strong frontline workers often struggle as supervisors; the risks of promoting without leadership training; transparency, feedback, and promotion decisions; and how kindness, accountability, and continuous feedback drive engagement. 

Good Morning, HR is brought to you by Imperative—Bulletproof Background Checks. For more information about our commitment to quality and excellent customer service, visit us at https://imperativeinfo.com.  

If you are an HRCI or SHRM-certified professional, this episode of Good Morning, HR has been pre-approved for three quarters of a recertification credit. To obtain the recertification information for this episode, visit https://goodmorninghr.com.  

Media mentioned in this podcast: 

From AI bubble fears to the job market’s ‘Great Freeze’: Economists answer your biggest questions about 2026 

Private-Sector Hiring Turned Positive in December After November Losses  

Private Hiring Sank in November, ADP Says 

US Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Outlook Handbook: Fastest Growing Occupations 
 

The 2026 Job Market Outlook: Where the Jobs Are 

Economists Are Studying the Slowing Job Market—and Feeling It Themselves 

When Good Frontline Workers Make Bad Supervisors 

Is Your Leadership Style Too Nice? 

The Friendship Recession: The Lost Art of Connecting 

Use Situation-Behavior-Impact (SBI)™ to Understand Intent 

About our Guest: 

DeDe Church is an attorney, employee relations counselor, workplace and University investigator, and nationally recognized trainer with more than 30 years of experience. She has trained thousands of employees and managers on how to create a productive, respectful culture for clients ranging from Fortune 50 companies to her favorite local pizza shop. Known for her humor and practicality, DeDe is often invited and then re-invited to deliver her high-energy workshops at distinguished conferences and to create videos for employee onboarding and annual training. 

As an expert investigator, DeDe relies upon a depth of knowledge to find the facts without causing unnecessary disturbances. Witnesses often say they feel at ease when talking with her because of her approachable nature. In addition, DeDe is often retained to review investigation procedures and to train in-house HR and University professionals on investigation best practices. In recognition of her skills, DeDe has been retained to testify as an expert witness in employment cases more than 20 times by organizations including Uber, BP, and MD Anderson Cancer Center. 

DeDe is a former Senior Assistant Attorney General for the State of Texas in the Civil Rights/General Litigation Division. During almost seven years there, she advised dozens of state agencies on the proper response to employee complaints, represented the State in over 30 trials involving discrimination in the workplace, and successfully argued before the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals and the Texas Supreme Court. DeDe received the prestigious Presidential Citation from the President of the Texas State Bar in recognition of outstanding service to the citizens of Texas. Her Bachelor of Arts degree is from Louisiana State University, magna cum laude, and she received a Doctorate of Jurisprudence with Honors from the University of North Carolina School of Law in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. 

DeDe Church can be reached at 

www.dedechurch.com 

https://www.linkedin.com/in/dede-wilburn-church-a71b748/ 

About Mike Coffey: 

Mike Coffey is an entrepreneur, licensed private investigator, business strategist, HR consultant, and registered yoga teacher. 

In 1999, he founded Imperative, a background investigations and due diligence firm helping risk-averse clients make well-informed decisions about the people they involve in their business. 

Imperative delivers in-depth employment background investigations, know-your-customer and anti-money laundering compliance, and due diligence investigations to more than 300 risk-averse corporate clients across the US, and, through its PFC Caregiver & Household Screening brand, many more private estates, family offices, and personal service agencies. 

Imperative has been named a Best Places to Work, the Texas Association of Business’ small business of the year, and is accredited by the Professional Background Screening Association.  

Mike shares his insight from 25+ years of HR-entrepreneurship on the Good Morning, HR podcast, where each week he talks to business leaders about bringing people together to create value for customers, shareholders, and community. 

Mike has been rec...

In episode 236, the second part of a two-part conversation, Coffey continues his discussion with Jacob Morgan about building future-ready organizations by balancing empathy, performance, and technology in the modern workplace. 

They discuss misalignment between employee expectations and career outcomes; long work hours versus work-life balance tradeoffs; honesty in company culture and career paths; the eight laws for future-ready organizations; decoding the human signal in leadership; empathetic excellence as a talent framework; learning as the new job security; flexibility in career design; people-first leadership principles; the role of leaders in shaping employee experience; using AI and technology to amplify humanity; risks of over-indexing on empathy; managing performance during personal hardship; AI augmentation versus job replacement; and why organizational redesign must precede true AI transformation. 

Good Morning, HR is brought to you by Imperative—Bulletproof Background Checks. For more information about our commitment to quality and excellent customer service, visit us at https://imperativeinfo.com.  

If you are an HRCI or SHRM-certified professional, this episode of Good Morning, HR has been pre-approved for half a recertification credit. To obtain the recertification information for this episode, visit https://goodmorninghr.com.  

About our Guest: 

Jacob Morgan is an international best-selling author, professionally trained futurist, and keynote speaker. He also runs "Future of Work Leaders," an exclusive network of the world's top CHROs shaping the future of work and employee experience. His passion and mission is to create future-ready leaders, employees, and organizations. Jacob's work has been endorsed by the CEOs of Mastercard, Best Buy, Unilever, The Ritz Carlton, Nestle, Cisco, Audi, and many others. He has a popular podcast called Future-Ready Leadership With Jacob Morgan and lives in Los Angeles with his wife, two kids, and two Yorkie rescue dogs. 

Jacob Morgan can be reached at  

https://thefutureorganization.com/  

https://www.linkedin.com/in/jacobmorgan8/  

https://x.com/jacobm 

https://www.youtube.com/@JacobMorgan 

https://www.instagram.com/jacobmorgan8/ 

https://www.facebook.com/JacobMorgan8/ 

https://greatleadership.substack.com/  

About Mike Coffey: 

Mike Coffey is an entrepreneur, licensed private investigator, business strategist, HR consultant, and registered yoga teacher. 

In 1999, he founded Imperative, a background investigations and due diligence firm helping risk-averse clients make well-informed decisions about the people they involve in their business. 

Imperative delivers in-depth employment background investigations, know-your-customer and anti-money laundering compliance, and due diligence investigations to more than 300 risk-averse corporate clients across the US, and, through its PFC Caregiver & Household Screening brand, many more private estates, family offices, and personal service agencies. 

Imperative has been named a Best Places to Work, the Texas Association of Business’ small business of the year, and is accredited by the Professional Background Screening Association.  

Mike shares his insight from 25+ years of HR-entrepreneurship on the Good Morning, HR podcast, where each week he talks to business leaders about bringing people together to create value for customers, shareholders, and community. 

Mike has been recognized as an Entrepreneur of Excellence by FW, Inc. and has twice been recognized as the North Texas HR Professional of the Year.  

Mike serves as a board member of a number of organizations, including the Texas State Council, where he serves Texas’ 31 SHRM chapters as State Director-Elect; Workforce Solutions for Tarrant County; the Texas Association of Business; and the Fort Worth Chamber of Commerce, where he is chair of the Talent Committee. 

Mike is a certified Senior Professional in Human Resources (SPHR) through the HR Certification Institute and a SHRM Senior Certified Professional (SHRM-SCP). He is also a Yoga Alliance registered yoga teacher (RYT-200) and teaches multiple times each week. 

Mike and his very patient wife of 28 years are empty nesters in Fort Worth.  

Learning Objectives: 

1. Understand how misaligned expectations between employees and organizations undermine performance and engagement 
2. Evaluate talent using the empathetic excellence framework of competence, merit, and empathy 
3. Apply practical leadership approaches to balance empathy with accountability 
4. Explain the eight laws that define a future-ready organization 
5. Assess how AI and technology can augment human capability rather than replace it 

In episode 235, the first part of a two-part conversation, Coffey talks with Jacob Morgan about building a future-ready organization by redesigning employee experience as a leadership system rather than a collection of perks. 

They discuss the role of futurists and foresight frameworks in business strategy; decoding human signals to anticipate workforce change; why employee experience must balance empathy, competence, and merit; failures of perk-driven engagement models; employee agency and co-creation of the workplace experience; structural work design versus superficial engagement tactics; leadership accountability in shaping culture; using technology and AI to amplify human capability rather than replace it; aligning expectations between employees and organizations in a post-pandemic workforce. 

Good Morning, HR is brought to you by Imperative—Bulletproof Background Checks. For more information about our commitment to quality and excellent customer service, visit us at https://imperativeinfo.com.  

If you are an HRCI or SHRM-certified professional, this episode of Good Morning, HR has been pre-approved for half a recertification credit. To obtain the recertification information for this episode, visit https://goodmorninghr.com.  

About our Guest: 

Jacob Morgan is an international best-selling author, professionally trained futurist, and keynote speaker. He also runs "Future of Work Leaders," an exclusive network of the world's top CHROs shaping the future of work and employee experience. His passion and mission is to create future-ready leaders, employees, and organizations. Jacob's work has been endorsed by the CEOs of Mastercard, Best Buy, Unilever, The Ritz Carlton, Nestle, Cisco, Audi, and many others. He has a popular podcast called Future-Ready Leadership With Jacob Morgan and lives in Los Angeles with his wife, two kids, and two Yorkie rescue dogs. 

Jacob Morgan can be reached at  

https://thefutureorganization.com/  

https://www.linkedin.com/in/jacobmorgan8/  

https://x.com/jacobm 

https://www.youtube.com/@JacobMorgan 

https://www.instagram.com/jacobmorgan8/ 

https://www.facebook.com/JacobMorgan8/ 

https://greatleadership.substack.com/  

About Mike Coffey: 

Mike Coffey is an entrepreneur, licensed private investigator, business strategist, HR consultant, and registered yoga teacher. 

In 1999, he founded Imperative, a background investigations and due diligence firm helping risk-averse clients make well-informed decisions about the people they involve in their business. 

Imperative delivers in-depth employment background investigations, know-your-customer and anti-money laundering compliance, and due diligence investigations to more than 300 risk-averse corporate clients across the US, and, through its PFC Caregiver & Household Screening brand, many more private estates, family offices, and personal service agencies. 

Imperative has been named a Best Places to Work, the Texas Association of Business’ small business of the year, and is accredited by the Professional Background Screening Association.  

Mike shares his insight from 25+ years of HR-entrepreneurship on the Good Morning, HR podcast, where each week he talks to business leaders about bringing people together to create value for customers, shareholders, and community. 

Mike has been recognized as an Entrepreneur of Excellence by FW, Inc. and has twice been recognized as the North Texas HR Professional of the Year.  

Mike serves as a board member of a number of organizations, including the Texas State Council, where he serves Texas’ 31 SHRM chapters as State Director-Elect; Workforce Solutions for Tarrant County; the Texas Association of Business; and the Fort Worth Chamber of Commerce, where he is chair of the Talent Committee. 

Mike is a certified Senior Professional in Human Resources (SPHR) through the HR Certification Institute and a SHRM Senior Certified Professional (SHRM-SCP). He is also a Yoga Alliance registered yoga teacher (RYT-200) and teaches multiple times each week. 

Mike and his very patient wife of 28 years are empty nesters in Fort Worth.  

Learning Objectives: 

Understand how foresight tools and human signals help leaders prepare for future workforce shifts 

Evaluate employee experience using the framework of empathetic excellence instead of perks or engagement scores 

Apply the eight laws of employee experience to build resilient, future-ready organizations 

In episode 234, Coffey talks with Lana Eyzips about building data-informed, strategic HR functions. 

They discuss why HR is often excluded from strategic planning; shifting HR from reactive firefighter to proactive advisor; building credibility through relationships rather than titles; translating people data into business and revenue impact; onboarding priorities for new HR leaders; compliance as a driver of culture and ethics; balancing HR’s role with leaders and employees; using data to influence executive decisions; the Light Bulb Method for strategic HR problem-solving; DEI framed through business outcomes; psychological safety and trust in organizations; and the future of HR with AI governance and automation. 

Good Morning, HR is brought to you by Imperative—Bulletproof Background Checks. For more information about our commitment to quality and excellent customer service, visit us at https://imperativeinfo.com.  

If you are an HRCI or SHRM-certified professional, this episode of Good Morning, HR has been pre-approved for half a recertification credit. To obtain the recertification information for this episode, visit https://goodmorninghr.com.  

About our Guest: 

Lana Eyzips, M.A., PHR is a senior HR leader and business psychology consultant with over 17 years of HR experience helping organizations turn people challenges into strategic growth. She’s the creator of The Lightbulb Method™, a practical framework that connects people, data, and culture to drive results leaders can actually see.  

With a master’s in Industrial and Organizational Psychology and deep experience across industries, from healthcare and credit unions to manufacturing and nonprofits, Lana brings a rare blend of compliance expertise, behavioral insight, and cross-cultural perspective. Her work focuses on helping leaders build credibility, navigate change, and create cultures rooted in trust, accountability, and clarity. 

Lana Eyzips can be reached at  

https://lanaeyzips.carrd.co/ 

https://www.linkedin.com/in/eyzipslana/  

About Mike Coffey: 

Mike Coffey is an entrepreneur, licensed private investigator, consultant, and registered yoga teacher. 

In 1999, he founded Imperative, a background investigations and due diligence firm helping risk-averse clients make better decisions about the people they involve in their business.  

Imperative delivers in-depth employment background investigations, know-your-customer and anti-money laundering compliance, and due diligence investigations to more than 300 risk-averse corporate clients across the US, and, through its PFC Caregiver & Household Screening brand, many more private estates, family offices, and personal service agencies. 

Mike was recognized as an Entrepreneur of Excellence by FW, Inc. and has twice been named the North Texas HR Professional of the Year.  

Mike serves as a board member of a number of organizations, including the Texas SHRM, the state HR association, where he serves Texas’ 30 SHRM chapters as State Director-Elect; Workforce Solutions for Tarrant County, where he is chair of the Workforce Readiness Committee; the Texas Association of Business, Texas’ state chamber; and the Fort Worth Chamber of Commerce, where he is chair of the Talent Committee. 

Mike is a certified Senior Professional in Human Resources (SPHR) through the HR Certification Institute and a SHRM Senior Certified Professional (SHRM-SCP). He is also a Yoga Alliance registered yoga teacher (RYT-200). 

Mike and his very patient wife of 29 years are empty nesters in Fort Worth, where he teaches yoga several times each week.  

Learning Objectives: 

Explain why credibility is the foundation for HR’s strategic influence 

Apply practical methods for building trust with executives and frontline leaders 

Use data, culture awareness, and psychology to frame people issues as business risks and opportunities 

In episode 233, Coffey talks with Amy Jacobs about evaluating and investigating unique complaints. 

They discuss evaluating the credibility of anonymous complaints; deciding when to investigate versus monitor; retaining records of all complaints for institutional memory; handling requests for confidentiality and anonymity; responding to complaints from former employees; assessing credibility when performance issues exist; navigating complaints raised through attorneys or union representatives; managing interviews with legal counsel or representatives present; deciding between in-person and virtual investigations; selecting interview locations to preserve confidentiality; recording versus not recording interviews; controlling interview pace and scope; identifying unrelated but critical issues uncovered during investigations; communicating investigation outcomes to complainants and employees; preventing retaliation claims; and managing gossip and trust in the workplace after investigations. 

Good Morning, HR is brought to you by Imperative—Bulletproof Background Checks. For more information about our commitment to quality and excellent customer service, visit us at https://imperativeinfo.com.  

If you are an HRCI or SHRM-certified professional, this episode of Good Morning, HR has been pre-approved for half a recertification credit. To obtain the recertification information for this episode, visit https://goodmorninghr.com.  

About our Guest: 

Amy Jacobs, an employment lawyer, joined Employment Practices Solutions in 1997 and is a currently a senior consultant and shareholder. For 30 years, Amy and the other consultants at EPS have partnered with all sorts of organizations to build respectful and inclusive work environments. In addition to impartial complaint investigations, EPS provides a range of services including highly customized training programs - live, virtual-live, and on-demand; expert testimony in human resources and employment law; and a wide array of HR consulting services. Their client base includes Fortune 100 companies, small businesses, government entities, higher education institutions, and nonprofit organizations. Mostly importantly, EPS is dedicated to providing high-quality solutions that meet the unique needs of each organization. 

Amy Jacobs can be reached at 

https://www epspros.com 

https://www.linkedin.com/company/epspros 

About Mike Coffey: 

Mike Coffey is an entrepreneur, licensed private investigator, business strategist, HR consultant, and registered yoga teacher. 

In 1999, he founded Imperative, a background investigations and due diligence firm helping risk-averse clients make well-informed decisions about the people they involve in their business. 

Imperative delivers in-depth employment background investigations, know-your-customer and anti-money laundering compliance, and due diligence investigations to more than 300 risk-averse corporate clients across the US, and, through its PFC Caregiver & Household Screening brand, many more private estates, family offices, and personal service agencies. 

Imperative has been named a Best Places to Work, the Texas Association of Business’ small business of the year, and is accredited by the Professional Background Screening Association.  

Mike shares his insight from 25+ years of HR-entrepreneurship on the Good Morning, HR podcast, where each week he talks to business leaders about bringing people together to create value for customers, shareholders, and community. 

Mike has been recognized as an Entrepreneur of Excellence by FW, Inc. and has twice been recognized as the North Texas HR Professional of the Year.  

Mike serves as a board member of a number of organizations, including the Texas State Council, where he serves Texas’ 30 SHRM chapters as State Director-Elect; Workforce Solutions for Tarrant County; the Texas Association of Business; and the Fort Worth Chamber of Commerce, where he is chair of the Talent Committee. 

Mike is a certified Senior Professional in Human Resources (SPHR) through the HR Certification Institute and a SHRM Senior Certified Professional (SHRM-SCP). He is also a Yoga Alliance registered yoga teacher (RYT-200) and teaches multiple times each week. 

Mike and his very patient wife of 29 years are empty nesters in Fort Worth.  

Learning Objectives:  

Evaluate anonymous and informal employee complaints for credibility and risk. 

Apply best practices for conducting fair, defensible workplace investigations. 

Manage post-investigation communication to reduce retaliation and rebuild trust. 

In episode 232, Coffey talks with Margarita Ramos about the importance and future of the employee relations function following the $11.5 million SHRM discrimination verdict.

They discuss the SHRM jury verdict and its implications for HR credibility; the role of employee relations at the intersection of compliance and employee experience; proactive versus reactive approaches to workplace conflict; multiple complaint channels and manager escalation obligations; why dismissing concerns as "not illegal" undermines trust; investigation failures highlighted in the SHRM case; investigator neutrality, training, and experience requirements; when and why to use outside investigators or counsel; leadership accountability and the role of the CHRO in employee relations; the three-legged stool of employee relations, HR business partners, and employment counsel; building ER infrastructure with case management systems and data analytics; handling high-performing but high-risk leaders; transparency in employee relations processes; reducing gossip through consistent and fair investigations; and the future of employee relations including responsible use of AI in investigations.

Good Morning, HR is brought to you by Imperative—Bulletproof Background Checks. For more information about our commitment to quality and excellent customer service, visit us at https://imperativeinfo.com. 

If you are an HRCI or SHRM-certified professional, this episode of Good Morning, HR has been pre-approved for half a recertification credit. To obtain the recertification information for this episode, visit https://goodmorninghr.com. 

About our Guest:

Margarita Ramos is a highly respected Global Employee Relations executive and employment attorney with more than two decades of experience across technology, SaaS, and financial services. She is trusted by CHROs, HR Business Partners, and C-suite leaders to build scalable ER infrastructures, stabilize organizations through change, and elevate the employee experience through disciplined governance and operational excellence.

With a foundation rooted in JD-trained employment law—including roles as In-House Employment Counsel at Merrill Lynch and Principal Corporate Counsel at Microsoft—Margarita developed deep legal expertise in compliance, risk mitigation, and workplace investigations. 

She later translated this expertise into senior ER and HR Compliance leadership roles at VMware, Splunk, RBC, and Bank of America, where she supported complex global workforces navigating rapid growth, cultural transformation, and organizational change. 

Throughout her career, Margarita has been brought in to create structure where ambiguity exists. She has built and led global ER Centers of Excellence, developed investigations and performance-management frameworks, and implemented modern case-management systems such as Workday, HR Acuity, and AI-enabled governance tools. Her approach blends empathy with operational rigor, ensuring ER functions are both employee-centric and aligned with business strategy.

A skilled investigator and ER strategist, Margarita advises senior leaders on workplace investigations, conflict resolution, performance management, DEI&B, and global employment compliance. She is known for her ability to translate data, case trends, and cultural signals into actionable insights—leveraging ER metrics, KPIs, and reporting to influence leadership decisions, drive fairness, and strengthen organizational culture. Her data-driven approach enables leaders to make well-informed, consistent decisions that reinforce trust and accountability across the enterprise. 

Margarita has also led M&A HR integration efforts at VMware and Splunk, overseeing cultural alignment, workforce assessments, and change-management strategies during periods of significant transformation. Her leadership in these environments reflects her commitment to creating workplaces where clarity, belonging, and operational excellence coexist. Beyond her corporate work, Margarita is deeply committed to developing future talent. She has mentored first-generation college students and contributed to organizations such as Girls Who Code, Year Up, and Hobart & William Smith Colleges. At Microsoft, she provided pro bono support for Kids in Need of Defense (KIND). Outside of work, she enjoys ballroom dancing and cooking. Margarita is passionate about shaping modern, strategic, tech-forward ER functions that support organizational values, reduce risk, build leadership capability, and create an environment where employees can do their best work with trust, fairness, and accountability.

Margarita Ramos can be reached at

https://www.linkedin.com/in/margarita-ramos/

About Mike Coffey:

Mike Coffey is an entrepreneur, licensed private investigator, business strategist, HR consultant, and registered yoga teacher.

In 1999, he founded Imperative, a background investigations and due diligence firm helping risk-averse clients make well-informed decisions about the people they involve in their business.

Imperative delivers in-depth employment background investigations, know-your-customer and anti-money laundering compliance, and due diligence investigations to more than 300 risk-averse corporate clients across the US, and, through its PFC Caregiver & Household Screening brand, many more private estates, family offices, and personal service agencies.

Imperative has been named a Best Places to Work, the Texas Association of Business’ small business of the year, and is accredited by the Professional Background Screening Association. 

Mike shares his insight from 25+ years of HR-entrepreneurship on the Good Morning, HR podcast, where each week he talks to business leaders about bringing people together to create value for customers, shareholders, and community.

Mike has been recognized as an Entrepreneur of Excellence by FW, Inc. and has twice been recognized as the North Texas HR Professional of the Year. 

Mike serves as a board member of a number of organizations, including the Texas State Council, where he serves Texas’ 31 SHRM chapters as State Director-Elect; Workforce Solutions for Tarrant County; the Texas Association of Business; and the Fort Worth Chamber of Commerce, where he is chair of the Talent Committee.

Mike is a certified Senior Professional in Human Resources (SPHR) through the HR Certification Institute and a SHRM Senior Certified Professional (SHRM-SCP). He is also a Yoga Alliance registered yoga teacher (RYT-200) and teach...

In episode 231, Coffey talks with Diondra Filicetti about the real economics of employee engagement and how leaders can drive performance by shaping environment, alignment, and activation on their teams. 

They discuss why engagement is an economic lever rather than a feel-good metric; how misaligned leadership expectations undermine performance; the impact of poorly prepared managers on engagement; practical ways to evaluate team capacity before adding headcount; the critical role of culture, trust, and behavior norms in workplace performance; strategies for designing the right environment, role alignment, and activation for teams; the Pygmalion Effect and how leaders’ beliefs shape outcomes; diagnosing attitude issues versus structural problems; and using engagement needs as a framework for one-to-ones and organizational improvement. 

You can find Diondra’s book “Engagement Economics: Increasing Performance & Profitability by Engaging Your People” here https://a.co/d/9mTuXIs  

Good Morning, HR is brought to you by Imperative—Bulletproof Background Checks. For more information about our commitment to quality and excellent customer service, visit us at https://imperativeinfo.com.  

If you are an HRCI or SHRM-certified professional, this episode of Good Morning, HR has been pre-approved for half a recertification credit. To obtain the recertification information for this episode, visit https://goodmorninghr.com.  

About our Guest: 

Diondra Filicetti is a Learning and Development professional, best-selling author, and two-time TEDx speaker. As the founder of Driven By Co., she helps organizations enhance performance through engaging workshops, leadership programs, and communication training. Her book Engagement Economics explores how employee engagement drives profitability and success. With expertise in adult learning and instructional design, Diondra has empowered professionals to lead with purpose, connect effectively, and inspire growth. 

Diondra Filicetti can be reached at 

https://www.drivenbyco.com  

https://www.linkedin.com/in/diondrafilicetti  

https://www.facebook.com/DrivenByCo  

http://instagram.com/drivenbyco  

https://www.youtube.com/@drivenbyco 

Her book “Engagement Economics: Increasing Performance & Profitability by Engaging Your People”  https://a.co/d/9mTuXIs 

About Mike Coffey: 

Mike Coffey is an entrepreneur, licensed private investigator, business strategist, HR consultant, and registered yoga teacher. 

In 1999, he founded Imperative, a background investigations and due diligence firm helping risk-averse clients make well-informed decisions about the people they involve in their business. 

Imperative delivers in-depth employment background investigations, know-your-customer and anti-money laundering compliance, and due diligence investigations to more than 300 risk-averse corporate clients across the US, and, through its PFC Caregiver & Household Screening brand, many more private estates, family offices, and personal service agencies. 

Imperative has been named a Best Places to Work, the Texas Association of Business’ small business of the year, and is accredited by the Professional Background Screening Association.  

Mike shares his insight from 25+ years of HR-entrepreneurship on the Good Morning, HR podcast, where each week he talks to business leaders about bringing people together to create value for customers, shareholders, and community. 

Mike has been recognized as an Entrepreneur of Excellence by FW, Inc. and has twice been recognized as the North Texas HR Professional of the Year.  

Mike serves as a board member of a number of organizations, including the Texas State Council, where he serves Texas’ 31 SHRM chapters as State Director-Elect; Workforce Solutions for Tarrant County; the Texas Association of Business; and the Fort Worth Chamber of Commerce, where he is chair of the Talent Committee. 

Mike is a certified Senior Professional in Human Resources (SPHR) through the HR Certification Institute and a SHRM Senior Certified Professional (SHRM-SCP). He is also a Yoga Alliance registered yoga teacher (RYT-200) and teaches multiple times each week. 

Mike and his very patient wife of 28 years are empty nesters in Fort Worth.  

Learning Objectives: 

1. Understand and explains the economic impact of employee engagement. 
2. Identify gaps in environment, alignment, and activation that reduce team performance. 
3. Apply practical leadership behaviors that build trust, clarify purpose, and elevate team capacity. 

In episode 230, Coffey talks with Linda Swindling about how HR professionals can build negotiation skills, increase approachability, and advocate more effectively inside their organizations. 

They discuss why people fear negotiation and how media influences our mindset; the role of everyday micro-negotiations in building confidence; how to uncover true needs through strategic questioning; using the A-S-K framework to navigate difficult conversations; ways HR can speak up when discussions go off-track; understanding personality and negotiation styles; overcoming internal narratives that limit assertiveness; developing boundaries and protecting emotional energy; and helping leaders adopt negotiation as a core communication skill. 

You can find Linda’s assessments and tools including the “What’s My DEAL Style?”, “How Well Do You Ask?” assessments and “Negotiate Like a CEO” E-Book here https://www.lindaswindling.com/assessments  

Good Morning, HR is brought to you by Imperative—Bulletproof Background Checks. For more information about our commitment to quality and excellent customer service, visit us at https://imperativeinfo.com.  

If you are an HRCI or SHRM-certified professional, this episode of Good Morning, HR has been pre-approved for half a recertification credit. To obtain the recertification information for this episode, visit https://goodmorninghr.com.  

About our Guest: 

Linda Swindling, CSP, CPAE, is a globally recognized expert in negotiation, high-stakes communication, and leadership influence. Ranked among the Top 15 Negotiators in the World by Global Gurus for six consecutive years, she equips leaders and professionals to negotiate what matters—from closing major deals to dealing with workplace drama with confidence and clarity. 

A Certified Speaking Professional and inductee into the National Speakers Association’s Speaker Hall of Fame (CPAE), Linda is also a Professor of Practice in Negotiation and Dispute Resolution at the University of Texas at Dallas. 

Her negotiation expertise was refined in the courtroom and the boardroom as a practicing corporate attorney and later, a strategic advisor to CEOs. During her 10 years practicing law, Linda became a partner and a mediator, successfully negotiated several million-dollar deals, and resolved cases that “couldn’t be settled.” 

For more than 25 years, she has delivered innovative, research-based programs which result in better conversations, proactive dispute resolution, and high-performance leaders and teams. You won’t hear anecdotal or intangible theories based on books she read. Instead, you get strategies that produce breakthrough outcomes and lasting results. 

Linda’s clients include Fortune 100 companies, government agencies, and associations seeking to boost performance, build resilient cultures, and champion change. The creator of the popular Passport to Success book series, she is the author/co-author of more than 20 books including Ask Outrageously, Stop Complainers and Energy Drainers, and The Manager’s High-Performance Handbook. 

Whether she’s speaking from the stage or coaching executives behind the scenes, Linda empowers professionals to use their voices effectively, resolve conflict respectfully, and negotiate durable outcomes that benefit all parties. 

Linda Swindling can be reached at:
https://www.facebook.com/JourneyOnLindaSwindling 

https://x.com/LindaSwindling 

https://www.linkedin.com/in/lindaswindling/ 

https://www.youtube.com/@LindaSwindling 

About Mike Coffey: 

Mike Coffey is an entrepreneur, licensed private investigator, business strategist, HR consultant, and registered yoga teacher. 

In 1999, he founded Imperative, a background investigations and due diligence firm helping risk-averse clients make well-informed decisions about the people they involve in their business. 

Imperative delivers in-depth employment background investigations, know-your-customer and anti-money laundering compliance, and due diligence investigations to more than 300 risk-averse corporate clients across the US, and, through its PFC Caregiver & Household Screening brand, many more private estates, family offices, and personal service agencies. 

Imperative has been named a Best Places to Work, the Texas Association of Business’ small business of the year, and is accredited by the Professional Background Screening Association.  

Mike shares his insight from 25+ years of HR-entrepreneurship on the Good Morning, HR podcast, where each week he talks to business leaders about bringing people together to create value for customers, shareholders, and community. 

Mike has been recognized as an Entrepreneur of Excellence by FW, Inc. and has twice been recognized as the North Texas HR Professional of the Year.  

Mike serves as a board member of a number of organizations, including the Texas State Council, where he serves Texas’ 31 SHRM chapters as State Director-Elect; Workforce Solutions for Tarrant County; the Texas Association of Business; and the Fort Worth Chamber of Commerce, where he is chair of the Talent Committee. 

Mike is a certified Senior Professional in Human Resources (SPHR) through the HR Certification Institute and a SHRM Senior Certified Professional (SHRM-SCP). He is also a Yoga Alliance registered yoga teacher (RYT-200) and teaches multiple times each week. 

Mike and his very patient wife of 28 years are empty nesters in Fort Worth.  

Learning Objectives: 

1. Identify the psychological barriers that make negotiation feel uncomfortable for most professionals. 
2. Apply the A-S-K framework to improve preparation, questioning, and next-step planning. 
3. Strengthen leadership communication by encouraging employees and executives to clearly express what they really want. 

In episode 229, Coffey talks with Frank Davis and John Surma about navigating OSHA inspections and preventing costly workplace safety violations. 

They discuss how employers misunderstand OSHA obligations; when OSHA reporting and injury-logging rules apply; the most-cited OSHA violations; triggers that prompt an OSHA inspection; why it is illegal to for OSHA to schedule an inspection with an employer; the importance of carefully limiting the scope of the inspection; OSHA’s interviews managers and employees—and the impact of each on the inspection’s outcome; documentation requests and timelines; citation outcomes and settlement options; and proactive strategies to prepare for inspections and avoid penalties. 

Good Morning, HR is brought to you by Imperative—Bulletproof Background Checks. For more information about our commitment to quality and excellent customer service, visit us at https://imperativeinfo.com.  

If you are an HRCI or SHRM-certified professional, this episode of Good Morning, HR has been pre-approved for one hour of recertification credit. To obtain the recertification information for this episode, visit https://goodmorninghr.com.  

About our Guest: 

Frank Davis is Board Certified in labor and employment law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization. His clients know he is ready to use his knowledge to manage a crisis on a moment’s notice. In fact, in the last year, he managed labor relations matters and workplace safety inspections and fatalities in over 35 different states.  

Frank’s experience managing crisis events makes him especially suited to counsel clients on strategies to avoid catastrophic litigation and other cost-savings efforts: 

- Evaluation of exposure to workplace health and safety hazards. 

- Preparation of workplace safety compliance strategies and policies. 

- Managing employee relations to avoid litigation and resist organizing drives by unions; and 

- Management of relations with unions to avoid frivolous grievances and exposure to contract liability. 

Because of Frank’s specialized skillset, his clients frequently retain him to handle a variety of sensitive matters: 

- Fatalities and other reportable injuries in the workplace; 

- Collective bargaining of labor contracts; 

- Labor arbitrations; 

- Union campaigns; 

- Contract litigation; and 

- Litigation before the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) and the Occupational Safety and Health (OSHA) Review Commission. 

He also represents clients in whistleblower matters under a broad range of statutes, including the OSH Act, the Surface Transportation Assistance Act, and the Clean Air Act. Frank handles all phases of these complaints, from initial investigation to final litigation before administrative law judges and appeals to federal court. 

John Surma is a lawyer with 30 plus years of experience dealing with OSHA, workplace health and safety issues, and counseling employers on those issues. He deals with a variety of state and federal agencies, has responded to over 400 fatalities and 2,000 OSHA inspections.  

Frank Davis and John Surma can be reached at 

https://ogletree.com/people/frank-d-davis/ 

https://www.linkedin.com/in/john-surma-75980214 

About Mike Coffey: 

Mike Coffey is an entrepreneur, licensed private investigator, business strategist, HR consultant, and registered yoga teacher. 

In 1999, he founded Imperative, a background investigations and due diligence firm helping risk-averse clients make well-informed decisions about the people they involve in their business. 

Imperative delivers in-depth employment background investigations, know-your-customer and anti-money laundering compliance, and due diligence investigations to more than 300 risk-averse corporate clients across the US, and, through its PFC Caregiver & Household Screening brand, many more private estates, family offices, and personal service agencies. 

Imperative’s Top Ten Red Flag Candidates, November 2025 

Every month, Imperative reports hundreds of records to our clients.  

While Imperative always encourages clients to review candidates’ criminal history as but one factor in evaluating their fit for a role, these candidates’ histories caught our attention this month. 

1. Household Staff/Nanny Client Candidate: 

• Prostitution 
• Petit larceny 

2. Nonprofit Client Candidate: 

• Misuse of client funds by a lawyer (four counts) 

3. Hospitality Client Candidate: 

• Willful child cruelty (causing great bodily injury under the age of five years, victim was particularly vulnerable, or taking advantage of a position of trust to commit offense) 
• Driving under the influence, 2 cases 
• Reckless driving on a highway 

See the rest of the list here: https://www.imperativeinfo.com/blog/2025/12/03/top-ten-red-flag-candidates-november-2025/

Learning Objectives: 

 Identify when OSHA reporting and recording rules apply and what events trigger each requirement. 

1. Evaluate common OSHA violations to prioritize hazard prevention strategies. 
2. Prepare supervisors and frontline employees for OSHA interviews and onsite inspection protocols. 
3. Navigate the inspection, citation, and settlement processes to reduce organizational risk. 

In episode 228, Coffey talks with Kelly Bubolz about the evolving drivers of workplace burnout and practical ways employers can build healthy, high-capacity teams.

They discuss how rapid technological change is straining employee capacity; the shift from pandemic-era mental-health burnout to operational overload; the role of role clarity and workflow optimization in preventing exhaustion; the behavioral warning signs of advancing burnout; the hidden cost of dysfunctional meetings; the impact of remote work structure on cognitive load and productivity; proactive workforce metrics HR should track; cultural myths that drain energy and reinforce burnout; improving cross-functional collaboration and workflow design; and how organizations can align operations around true value creation.

Good Morning, HR is brought to you by Imperative—Bulletproof Background Checks. For more information about our commitment to quality and excellent customer service, visit us at https://imperativeinfo.com.

If you are an HRCI or SHRM-certified professional, this episode of Good Morning, HR has been pre-approved for half a recertification credit. To obtain the recertification information for this episode, visit https://goodmorninghr.com.

About our Guest:

Burnout survivor turned business strategist, Kelly Bubolz knows what it takes to go from running on fumes to being intentional with energy that people want to follow. With 20+ years in HR leadership, she’s transformed her own high stress physical collapse into a powerhouse mission. Guiding the recharge through redesigning the ways of work, cutting through chaos and into sustainable energy.

Kelly Bubolz can be reached at:

https://www.kbtrainingconnections.com
https://www.linkedin.com/in/kelly-bubolz-73b65011
https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61579197120672
https://www.instagram.com/kellybubolz

About Mike Coffey:

Mike Coffey is an entrepreneur, licensed private investigator, business strategist, HR consultant, and registered yoga teacher. In 1999, he founded Imperative, a background investigations and due diligence firm helping risk-averse clients make well-informed decisions about the people they involve in their business.

Imperative delivers in-depth employment background investigations, know-your-customer and anti-money laundering compliance, and due diligence investigations to more than 300 risk-averse corporate clients across the US, and, through its PFC Caregiver & Household Screening brand, many more private estates, family offices, and personal service agencies. Imperative has been named a Best Places to Work, the Texas Association of Business’ small business of the year, and is accredited by the Professional Background Screening Association. Mike shares his insight from 25+ years of HR-entrepreneurship on the Good Morning, HR podcast, where each week he talks to business leaders about bringing people together to create value for customers, shareholders, and community.

Mike has been recognized as an Entrepreneur of Excellence by FW, Inc. and has twice been recognized as the North Texas HR Professional of the Year. Mike serves as a board member of a number of organizations, including the Texas State Council, where he serves Texas’ 31 SHRM chapters as State Director-Elect; Workforce Solutions for Tarrant County; the Texas Association of Business; and the Fort Worth Chamber of Commerce, where he is chair of the Talent Committee. Mike is a certified Senior Professional in Human Resources (SPHR) through the HR Certification Institute and a SHRM Senior Certified Professional (SHRM-SCP). He is also a Yoga Alliance registered yoga teacher (RYT-200) and teaches multiple times each week.

Mike and his very patient wife of 28 years are empty nesters in Fort Worth.

Learning Objectives:

1. Identify the behavioral and operational indicators of burnout before they reach crisis levels.

2. Evaluate how role clarity, workflow design, and meeting structure affect employee capacity.

3. Apply proactive metrics and cultural practices that reduce energy drain and strengthen productivity.

In episode 227, Coffey talks with Christy Close about how organizations can expand their talent pool by hiring and supporting neurodiverse employees.

They discuss the growing number of neurodivergent individuals entering the job market; the importance of revising job descriptions and interviews to reduce bias and increase accessibility; how leaders can make reasonable accommodations to help neurodiverse employees thrive; why flexibility, clear communication, and awareness benefit all employees, not just those with atypical information processing; and the mindset shift required to recognize neurodiversity as a competitive advantage rather than a challenge.

Good Morning, HR is brought to you by Imperative—Bulletproof Background Checks. For more information about our commitment to quality and excellent customer service, visit us at https://imperativeinfo.com.

If you are an HRCI or SHRM-certified professional, this episode of Good Morning, HR has been pre-approved for three-quarters of a recertification credit. To obtain the recertification information for this episode, visit https://goodmorninghr.com.

About our Guest:

Christy Close owns and operates HR Solid Foundation, as a Business & Human Resource consultant. Christy is also a facilitator of Human Resources classes for UT- Austin, UT- Arlington, Univ of Houston, and tech facilities to include working with those exiting the military and entering the workforce.

She is sought out as to facilitate the HR Certification Prep test class- as of May this year, her pass rate is at a 97% pass rate for first timers.

Her claim to fame is her involvement with the EEOC having completed over 1244 cases with only 5 going to court, and 1 loss.

She received her Masters in International HR Mgmt with an emphasis in Global Org, a Paralegal degree, as well as HR certifications.

She is the author of Employee Relations 101, a book for new managers.

After 8 years in the military, and 30+ years in the HR & Employee Relations arena, she has found her passion working with employers and employees finding a great balance and a very conducive work environment.

Her clients range from military, aviation, hospitality, manufacturing, and retail ranging from Houston, TX to Tulsa, OK to Seattle, Atlanta, and Miami.

Her motto hasn't changed since day 1: How may I serve you?

She is currently co-authoring a book for hiring nuerodivergents, which is expected to be released in spring 2026.

As the CEO of HR Solid Foundation, she believes many of today's employment discrepancies could be avoided with proper training or structural strategic alignment within the organization's goals.

Christy Close can be reached at

https://www.hrsolidfoundation.com/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/christygcloseer101/

https://www.facebook.com/HRSolidFoundation

https://www.instagram.com/hrsf.info/?next=%2F

About Mike Coffey:

Mike Coffey is an entrepreneur, licensed private investigator, business strategist, HR consultant, and registered yoga teacher. In 1999, he founded Imperative, a background investigations and due diligence firm helping risk-averse clients make well-informed decisions about the people they involve in their business.

Imperative delivers in-depth employment background investigations, know-your-customer and anti-money laundering compliance, and due diligence investigations to more than 300 risk-averse corporate clients across the US, and, through its PFC Caregiver & Household Screening brand, many more private estates, family offices, and personal service agencies. Imperative has been named a Best Places to Work, the Texas Association of Business’ small business of the year, and is accredited by the Professional Background Screening Association. Mike shares his insight from 25+ years of HR-entrepreneurship on the Good Morning, HR podcast, where each week he talks to business leaders about bringing people together to create value for customers, shareholders, and community.

Mike has been recognized as an Entrepreneur of Excellence by FW, Inc. and has twice been recognized as the North Texas HR Professional of the Year. Mike serves as a board member of a number of organizations, including the Texas State Council, where he serves Texas’ 31 SHRM chapters as State Director-Elect; Workforce Solutions for Tarrant County; the Texas Association of Business; and the Fort Worth Chamber of Commerce, where he is chair of the Talent Committee. Mike is a certified Senior Professional in Human Resources (SPHR) through the HR Certification Institute and a SHRM Senior Certified Professional (SHRM-SCP). He is also a Yoga Alliance registered yoga teacher (RYT-200) and teaches multiple times each week.

Mike and his very patient wife of 28 years are empty nesters in Fort Worth.

Learning Objectives:

1. Recognize the value neurodiverse employees bring to innovation, creativity, and organizational performance.

2. Identify hiring and interviewing practices that unintentionally exclude neurodiverse candidates.

3. Implement inclusive workplace strategies that promote equity, engagement, and retention for all employees.

In episode 226, Coffey talks with Pam Boyd and Bernie Beck about creating drama-free workplaces and eliminating wasted emotional energy from organizations. 

They discuss how workplace drama differs from ordinary conflict; the cost of toxic employees and fear-based leadership; strategies for accountability and courageous conversations; the “C-R-E-A-T-E-D” framework to create cultures that thrive; using emotional intelligence and personal development plans to improve team culture; how to replace confrontation anxiety with consistent coaching; and how leaders can operationalize emotional intelligence to build healthier, more productive organizations. 

Good Morning, HR is brought to you by Imperative—Bulletproof Background Checks. For more information about our commitment to quality and excellent customer service, visit us at https://imperativeinfo.com.  

If you are an HRCI or SHRM-certified professional, this episode of Good Morning, HR has been pre-approved for half a recertification credit. To obtain the recertification information for this episode, visit https://goodmorninghr.com.  

About our Guest: 

Pam has presented in seven countries and all fifty states and has written six books and three screenplays. She studied theater and pre-med at the University of Oklahoma and has a BBA from Northwood University. 

Bernie Beck has thirty years of experience in business leadership and more than four thousand consulting, executive coaching and training hours. He earned his BBA at Gonzaga University, Coaching credentials from UTD School of Management, and is a PCC from the ICF.  

Pam and Bernie can be reached at  

https://www.linkedin.com/in/pamela-boyd-8b193b1/ 

https://www.linkedin.com/in/berniebeck/ 

Pam and Bernie’s book, The Drama-Free Business: From Inception to Succession: https://a.co/d/hrF6nDZ  

Pam’s firm, Dramatic Conclusions: www.dramaticconclusions.com 

About Mike Coffey: 

Mike Coffey is an entrepreneur, licensed private investigator, business strategist, HR consultant, and registered yoga teacher. 

In 1999, he founded Imperative, a background investigations and due diligence firm helping risk-averse clients make well-informed decisions about the people they involve in their business. 

Imperative delivers in-depth employment background investigations, know-your-customer and anti-money laundering compliance, and due diligence investigations to more than 300 risk-averse corporate clients across the US, and, through its PFC Caregiver & Household Screening brand, many more private estates, family offices, and personal service agencies. 

Imperative has been named a Best Places to Work, the Texas Association of Business’ small business of the year, and is accredited by the Professional Background Screening Association.  

Mike shares his insight from 25+ years of HR-entrepreneurship on the Good Morning, HR podcast, where each week he talks to business leaders about bringing people together to create value for customers, shareholders, and community. 

Mike has been recognized as an Entrepreneur of Excellence by FW, Inc. and has twice been recognized as the North Texas HR Professional of the Year.  

Mike serves as a board member of a number of organizations, including the Texas State Council, where he serves Texas’ 31 SHRM chapters as State Director-Elect; Workforce Solutions for Tarrant County; the Texas Association of Business; and the Fort Worth Chamber of Commerce, where he is chair of the Talent Committee. 

Mike is a certified Senior Professional in Human Resources (SPHR) through the HR Certification Institute and a SHRM Senior Certified Professional (SHRM-SCP). He is also a Yoga Alliance registered yoga teacher (RYT-200) and teaches multiple times each week. 

Mike and his very patient wife of 28 years are empty nesters in Fort Worth.  

Learning Objectives: 

1. Identify sources of workplace drama and distinguish them from normal conflict. 
2. Apply the C-R-E-A-T-E-D framework to strengthen organizational culture. 
3. Practice the BEERS or PEERS coaching model to address performance and behavior issues effectively. 
4. Build systems for feedback, recognition, and development that reinforce accountability. 
5. Operationalize emotional intelligence through regular coaching, trust-building, and leader self-awareness. 

In episode 225, Coffey talks with Monica Lloyd about navigating organizational change with transparency, stability, and human-centered strategies. 

They discuss how AI, workforce demographics, and economic uncertainty are reshaping leadership expectations; how transparency and vulnerability build trust during change; how leaders can create stability and clear communication systems in uncertain times; how organizational values and culture can anchor teams through disruption; the impact of AI on jobs and workforce planning; rethinking career paths and talent retention in the age of automation; training middle managers to communicate consistent messages; building engagement through recognition and behavioral insight; and how HR must evolve into the science of human behavior and change management. 

Good Morning, HR is brought to you by Imperative—Bulletproof Background Checks. For more information about our commitment to quality and excellent customer service, visit us at https://imperativeinfo.com.  

If you are an HRCI or SHRM-certified professional, this episode of Good Morning, HR has been pre-approved for one hour of recertification credit. To obtain the recertification information for this episode, visit https://goodmorninghr.com.  

About our Guest: 

Monica Lloyd is the founder of People Forward®, a consulting firm on a mission to create workplaces people love. A recognized thought leader and top-rated speaker, she’s known for blending sharp business strategy with contagious energy that inspires leaders and teams to raise their game. 

As an expert contributor to the Forbes HR Council, Monica brings both credibility and a fresh perspective to the national stage, challenging audiences to rethink how work should feel and how organizations can truly thrive. Her style is equal parts strategist, motivator, and innovator who never shies away from tough conversations, but always keeps people at the center. 

Whether she’s guiding executives through organizational transformation, sparking inspiration from the stage, or hosting her People Mavens podcast, Monica’s work is rooted in one simple belief: the best business strategy is people strategy. 

Monica Lloyd can be reached at 

https://www.peopleforward.us 

https://www.linkedin.com/in/themonicalloyd/ 

About Mike Coffey: 

Mike Coffey is an entrepreneur, licensed private investigator, business strategist, HR consultant, and registered yoga teacher. 

In 1999, he founded Imperative, a background investigations and due diligence firm helping risk-averse clients make well-informed decisions about the people they involve in their business. 

Imperative delivers in-depth employment background investigations, know-your-customer and anti-money laundering compliance, and due diligence investigations to more than 300 risk-averse corporate clients across the US, and, through its PFC Caregiver & Household Screening brand, many more private estates, family offices, and personal service agencies. 

Imperative has been named a Best Places to Work, the Texas Association of Business’ small business of the year, and is accredited by the Professional Background Screening Association.  

Mike shares his insight from 25+ years of HR-entrepreneurship on the Good Morning, HR podcast, where each week he talks to business leaders about bringing people together to create value for customers, shareholders, and community. 

Mike has been recognized as an Entrepreneur of Excellence by FW, Inc. and has twice been recognized as the North Texas HR Professional of the Year.  

Mike serves as a board member of a number of organizations, including the Texas State Council, where he serves Texas’ 31 SHRM chapters as State Director-Elect; Workforce Solutions for Tarrant County; the Texas Association of Business; and the Fort Worth Chamber of Commerce, where he is chair of the Talent Committee. 

Mike is a certified Senior Professional in Human Resources (SPHR) through the HR Certification Institute and a SHRM Senior Certified Professional (SHRM-SCP). He is also a Yoga Alliance registered yoga teacher (RYT-200) and teaches multiple times each week.  

Mike and his very patient wife of 28 years are empty nesters in Fort Worth.  

Learning Objectives: 

1. Explain how transparency and vulnerability strengthen leadership credibility during times of change. 
2. Identify methods to create organizational stability and clear communication in uncertain conditions. 
3. Describe strategies for adapting workforce planning and career development in response to AI-driven transformation. 

They discuss the evolving role of AI in HR and how it is redefining job design and required skill sets; the transition from traditional degree-based hiring to skills-based approaches that emphasize measurable competencies; how psychometrics supports objective and equitable testing and certification; the rise of microcredentials and modular certification programs that align with changing organizational needs; the implications of reduced reliance on four-year degrees and the expansion of alternative pathways to employment; the balance between automation and human adaptability as job roles evolve; methods for assessing durable “power skills” such as communication, collaboration, and leadership; and the importance of ensuring transparency, privacy, and bias mitigation in AI-assisted assessment and hiring systems.

Good Morning, HR is brought to you by Imperative—Bulletproof Background Checks. For more information about our commitment to quality and excellent customer service, visit us at https://imperativeinfo.com.

If you are an HRCI or SHRM-certified professional, this episode of Good Morning, HR has been pre-approved for three quarters of recertification credit. To obtain the recertification information for this episode, visit https://goodmorninghr.com.

About our Guest:

For more than 20 years, Dr. Leslie Thomas has been helping clients create assessment programs to effectively measure and evaluate professional competence.

In her role at Kryterion, Dr. Thomas and her team work closely with clients to help translate their business goals into credentialing programs that provide real value to their stakeholders such as enhanced productivity, risk mitigation, or lower hiring costs.

As a member of the Association of Test Publisher's Technology-based Assessment's AI subcommittee, she has contributed to multiple publications on the use of AI in the assessment including the responsible use of AI and human oversight.

Before Kryterion, Leslie served as the Chief Psychometric Officer at Brainbench, ran a boutique consulting firm, and worked as a research scientist at ACT.

Leslie Thomas can be reached at www.kryterion.com/ www.linkedin.com/in/leslieathomas

About Mike Coffey:

Mike Coffey is an entrepreneur, licensed private investigator, business strategist, HR consultant, and registered yoga teacher. In 1999, he founded Imperative, a background investigations and due diligence firm helping risk-averse clients make well-informed decisions about the people they involve in their business.

Imperative delivers in-depth employment background investigations, know-your-customer and anti-money laundering compliance, and due diligence investigations to more than 300 risk-averse corporate clients across the US, and, through its PFC Caregiver & Household Screening brand, many more private estates, family offices, and personal service agencies. Imperative has been named a Best Places to Work, the Texas Association of Business’ small business of the year, and is accredited by the Professional Background Screening Association. Mike shares his insight from 25+ years of HR-entrepreneurship on the Good Morning, HR podcast, where each week he talks to business leaders about bringing people together to create value for customers, shareholders, and community.

Mike has been recognized as an Entrepreneur of Excellence by FW, Inc. and has twice been recognized as the North Texas HR Professional of the Year. Mike serves as a board member of a number of organizations, including the Texas State Council, where he serves Texas’ 31 SHRM chapters as State Director-Elect; Workforce Solutions for Tarrant County; the Texas Association of Business; and the Fort Worth Chamber of Commerce, where he is chair of the Talent Committee. Mike is a certified Senior Professional in Human Resources (SPHR) through the HR Certification Institute and a SHRM Senior Certified Professional (SHRM-SCP). He is also a Yoga Alliance registered yoga teacher (RYT-200) and teaches multiple times each week.

Mike and his very patient wife of 28 years are empty nesters in Fort Worth.

Learning Objectives:

1. Understand how AI is transforming employee selection, assessment, and job design.

2. Identify strategies for implementing skills-based and credential-based hiring.

3. Evaluate ways to maintain fairness, transparency, and adaptability in AI-driven HR processes.

They discuss how HR leaders can define and hire for the right character traits by first understanding business strategy (for example, Walmart vs. Nordstrom models); aligning hiring with authentic, observable core values; identifying the specific attitudes and behaviors that make top performers successful in each role; using structured behavioral interviews to identify values; conducting reference checks as investigative conversations rather than formalities; designing realistic job previews to reduce turnover; and maintaining objectivity by keeping character assessments job-related and bias-free.

You can access Mike’s free library of free downloads to elevate your healthcare clinic from merely OK to excellent here: https://www.seasoned-advice.com/signup-for-free-downloads

Good Morning, HR is brought to you by Imperative—Bulletproof Background Checks. For more information about our commitment to quality and excellent customer service, visit us at https://imperativeinfo.com.

If you are an HRCI or SHRM-certified professional, this episode of Good Morning, HR has been pre-approved for three quarters of recertification credit. To obtain the recertification information for this episode, visit https://goodmorninghr.com.

About our Guest:

Mike Lyons is the Chief Consultant for Seasoned Advice HR Services, which helps highly motivated healthcare clinics with HR support. He is a frequent presenter at healthcare conferences on the topics of leadership, culture, and employee engagement. He is a graduate of LSU and the University of Illinois and resides in Austin, TX with his wife and kids.

Mike Lyons can be reached at https://www.seasoned-advice.com https://www.linkedin.com/in/mikelyonshr https://www.instagram.com/seasonedadvice

About Mike Coffey:

Mike Coffey is an entrepreneur, licensed private investigator, business strategist, HR consultant, and registered yoga teacher. In 1999, he founded Imperative, a background investigations and due diligence firm helping risk-averse clients make well-informed decisions about the people they involve in their business.

Imperative delivers in-depth employment background investigations, know-your-customer and anti-money laundering compliance, and due diligence investigations to more than 300 risk-averse corporate clients across the US, and, through its PFC Caregiver & Household Screening brand, many more private estates, family offices, and personal service agencies. Imperative has been named a Best Places to Work, the Texas Association of Business’ small business of the year, and is accredited by the Professional Background Screening Association. Mike shares his insight from 25+ years of HR-entrepreneurship on the Good Morning, HR podcast, where each week he talks to business leaders about bringing people together to create value for customers, shareholders, and community.

Mike has been recognized as an Entrepreneur of Excellence by FW, Inc. and has twice been recognized as the North Texas HR Professional of the Year. Mike serves as a board member of a number of organizations, including the Texas State Council, where he serves Texas’ 31 SHRM chapters as State Director-Elect; Workforce Solutions for Tarrant County; the Texas Association of Business; and the Fort Worth Chamber of Commerce, where he is chair of the Talent Committee. Mike is a certified Senior Professional in Human Resources (SPHR) through the HR Certification Institute and a SHRM Senior Certified Professional (SHRM-SCP). He is also a Yoga Alliance registered yoga teacher (RYT-200) and teaches multiple times each week.

Mike and his very patient wife of 28 years are empty nesters in Fort Worth.

Learning Objectives:

1. Recognize how strategic alignment clarifies which behavioral traits drive business results.

2. Define authentic organizational and role-specific values based on top-performer analysis.

3. Apply structured interviews, probing, and reference checks to assess character without bias.

They discuss why most leadership training programs fail to deliver ROI; the importance of reverse engineering programs from specific organizational outcomes; the significant impact of frontline managers on employee engagement; the gap between knowledge transfer and skill execution; building programs with practice, peer learning, and self-reflection components; “soft skills” deficits across the workforce; “congruent leadership” as alignment of self-perception and team experience; and the 70-20-10 learning model’s impact on development. 

You can find LeAnne’s new book “The Congruent Leader: Build Trust, Lead with Self-Awareness, and Close the Gap Between How You See Yourself and How Others Experience You” here https://a.co/d/ehUoYLx  

Hardcover: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-congruent-leader-leanne-lagasse/1148446437?ean=9798999501912  

Book website: https://www.thecongruentleaderbook.com  

Good Morning, HR is brought to you by Imperative—Bulletproof Background Checks. For more information about our commitment to quality and excellent customer service, visit us at https://imperativeinfo.com.  

If you are an HRCI or SHRM-certified professional, this episode of Good Morning, HR has been pre-approved for half a recertification credit. To obtain the recertification information for this episode, visit https://goodmorninghr.com.  

About our Guest: 

LeAnne Lagasse is the author of “The Congruent Leader: Build Trust, Lead with Self-Awareness, and Close the Gap Between How You See Yourself and How Others Experience You.”  

LeAnne is also an HR consultant and keynote speaker who helps leaders and organizations improve employee engagement and retention, as well as develop their people managers.  

LeAnne is a SHRM-SCP, a Gallup-Certified CliftonStrengths© Coach, and also serves as adjunct faculty at Missouri State University, where she teaches professional communication courses to MBA students.  

Before launching her consulting business, LeAnne was a faculty member and the Director of Public Speaking in the College of Media and Communication at Texas Tech University, where she served for 14 years. Alongside her husband, Ben, she is a proud mom to three children and two pet prairie dogs. 

LeAnne’s book, “The Congruent Leader: Build Trust, Lead with Self-Awareness, and Close the Gap Between How You See Yourself and How Others Experience You” is available at https://a.co/d/e2vm4d1.  

LeAnne Lagasse can be reached at: 

https://www.leannelagasse.com/  

https://www.linkedin.com/in/leannelagasse/  

https://www.facebook.com/leannelagasseconsulting  

About Mike Coffey: 

Mike Coffey is an entrepreneur, licensed private investigator, business strategist, HR consultant, and registered yoga teacher. 

In 1999, he founded Imperative, a background investigations and due diligence firm helping risk-averse clients make well-informed decisions about the people they involve in their business. 

Imperative delivers in-depth employment background investigations, know-your-customer and anti-money laundering compliance, and due diligence investigations to more than 300 risk-averse corporate clients across the US, and, through its PFC Caregiver & Household Screening brand, many more private estates, family offices, and personal service agencies. 

Imperative has been named a Best Places to Work, the Texas Association of Business’ small business of the year, and is accredited by the Professional Background Screening Association.  

Mike shares his insight from 25+ years of HR-entrepreneurship on the Good Morning, HR podcast, where each week he talks to business leaders about bringing people together to create value for customers, shareholders, and community. 

Mike has been recognized as an Entrepreneur of Excellence by FW, Inc. and has twice been recognized as the North Texas HR Professional of the Year.  

Mike serves as a board member of a number of organizations, including the Texas State Council, where he serves Texas’ 31 SHRM chapters as State Director-Elect; Workforce Solutions for Tarrant County; the Texas Association of Business; and the Fort Worth Chamber of Commerce, where he is chair of the Talent Committee. 

Mike is a certified Senior Professional in Human Resources (SPHR) through the HR Certification Institute and a SHRM Senior Certified Professional (SHRM-SCP). He is also a Yoga Alliance registered yoga teacher (RYT-200) and teaches multiple times each week. 

Mike and his very patient wife of 28 years are empty nesters in Fort Worth.  

Learning Objectives:  

1. Design leadership development programs that span extended timeframes with multiple learning modalities including peer collaboration, low-stakes practice opportunities, and structured reinforcement rather than relying on one-day events or single webinars. 

1. Incorporate self-awareness and reflection exercises into leadership training to help managers identify their natural strengths, biases, and communication tendencies that create barriers to their own success. 

1. Implement the 70-20-10 learning model by prioritizing challenging practice exercises (70%), supportive coaching and mentoring relationships (20%), and formal content delivery (10%) to maximize leadership development ROI. 

They discuss the vague proclamation language creating confusion about fee applicability; the H-1B lottery process; how prevailing wage requirements are designed to prevent exploitation; consulting companies farming out H-!B workers; the possible impact on small and medium employers; alternatives to H-1Bs; and what to expect in the spring H-1B lottery.

Good Morning, HR is brought to you by Imperative—Bulletproof Background Checks. For more information about our commitment to quality and excellent customer service, visit us at https://imperativeinfo.com.

If you are an HRCI or SHRM-certified professional, this episode of Good Morning, HR has been pre-approved for half a recertification credit. To obtain the recertification information for this episode, visit https://goodmorninghr.com.

About our Guest:

Jason Finkelman is an Immigration Attorney working with domestic and foreign businesses, as well as international individuals in a variety of employment-based and family-based immigration matters. He represents U.S. and international companies, entrepreneurs, investors, business-owners, executives, professionals, skilled workers, students, and families in obtaining employment visas, lawful permanent residence ("green cards") and U.S. citizenship. Jason has worked with clients across a number of industries including high-tech, semiconductor, healthcare, higher education, energy, oil and gas, import/export, research, video game, as well as professional athletics, music, and entertainment to help them meet their immigration goals. Jason continues to be at the forefront of immigration law. Please visit www.finkelmanlaw.com for more information on his services.

Jason Finkelman can be reached at

https://www.finkelmanlaw.com

https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasonfinkelman/

https://www.facebook.com/finkelmanlaw

https://x.com/FinkelmanLaw

About Mike Coffey:

Mike Coffey is an entrepreneur, licensed private investigator, business strategist, HR consultant, and registered yoga teacher. In 1999, he founded Imperative, a background investigations and due diligence firm helping risk-averse clients make well-informed decisions about the people they involve in their business.

Imperative delivers in-depth employment background investigations, know-your-customer and anti-money laundering compliance, and due diligence investigations to more than 300 risk-averse corporate clients across the US, and, through its PFC Caregiver & Household Screening brand, many more private estates, family offices, and personal service agencies. Imperative has been named a Best Places to Work, the Texas Association of Business’ small business of the year, and is accredited by the Professional Background Screening Association. Mike shares his insight from 25+ years of HR-entrepreneurship on the Good Morning, HR podcast, where each week he talks to business leaders about bringing people together to create value for customers, shareholders, and community.

Mike has been recognized as an Entrepreneur of Excellence by FW, Inc. and has twice been recognized as the North Texas HR Professional of the Year. Mike serves as a board member of a number of organizations, including the Texas State Council, where he serves Texas’ 31 SHRM chapters as State Director-Elect; Workforce Solutions for Tarrant County; the Texas Association of Business; and the Fort Worth Chamber of Commerce, where he is chair of the Talent Committee. Mike is a certified Senior Professional in Human Resources (SPHR) through the HR Certification Institute and a SHRM Senior Certified Professional (SHRM-SCP). He is also a Yoga Alliance registered yoga teacher (RYT-200) and teaches multiple times each week.

Mike and his very patient wife of 28 years are empty nesters in Fort Worth.

Learning Objectives:

1. Understand the H-1B visa framework including the annual lottery system, prevailing wage requirements enforced by the Department of Labor, and the current government fee structure.

2. Understand the impact of the $1000,000

3. Evaluate alternatives to H-1B visas for utilizing foreign talent.

They discuss how initial COVID remote work success masked long-term problems; loss of informal interactions and mentoring for newcomers; reduced collaboration and innovation; proximity bias affecting promotions and performance reviews; employee engagement challenges in hybrid settings; designing hybrid schedules with anchor days and structured meeting protocols; redesigning office spaces for collaboration; why hot-desking raises concerns; and adapting performance management to include helping behaviors and mentoring as measurable KPIs.

Resources referenced in this episode include:

Ranya Nehmeh and former Good Morning, HR guest Peter Cappelli’s new book, In Praise of the Office: The Limits to Hybrid and Remote Work

And you can get a preview of their research in the (July–August 2025) Harvard Business Review article, Hybrid still isn’t working

Working From Home, Worker Sorting and Development; David Atkin, Antoinette Schoar, & Sumit Shinde; National Bureau of Economic Research

Employee Innovation During Office Work, Work from Home and Hybrid Work; Michael Gibbs, Friederike Mengel, and Christoph Siemroth; University of Chicago—Becker Friedman Institute for Economics

The Power of Proximity to Coworkers: Training For Tomorrow or Productivity Today?; Natalia Emanuel, Emma Harrington, & Amanda Pallais; National Bureau of Economic Research

Good Morning, HR is brought to you by Imperative—Bulletproof Background Checks. For more information about our commitment to quality and excellent customer service, visit us at https://imperativeinfo.com.

If you are an HRCI or SHRM-certified professional, this episode of Good Morning, HR has been pre-approved for half a recertification credit. To obtain the recertification information for this episode, visit https://goodmorninghr.com.

About our Guest:

Ranya Nehmeh is a senior HR strategist with expertise in people strategy, HR policy, leadership development, and talent management. She has held key HR roles at the OPEC Fund for International

Development in Vienna and the European Central Bank in Frankfurt. She is a lecturer at the University of Applied Sciences for Management & Communication in Vienna and also the author of The Chameleon Leader: Connecting with Millennials (2019).

Ranya holds a master’s in industrial relations and human resource management from the London School of Economics & Political Science (LSE) and a Doctor of Business Administration from the Swiss Management Center in Zug. Her recent articles, co-authored with Wharton professor Peter Cappelli, include “Hybrid Still Isn’t Working” (Harvard Business Review July/August 2025), “Sustainable Agility: How HR Can Survive the Rapid Pace of Change” (People + Strategy Journal, SHRM, July 2024), “It’s Time to Do Away with ‘Dry Promotions,’” (Harvard Business Review, July 2024) and “HR’s New Role” (Harvard Business Review, May/June 2024 magazine).

Ranya Nehmeh can be reached at:

https://www.ranyanehmeh.com

https://www.linkedin.com/in/ranyanehmeh

https://www.facebook.com/ranya.nehmeh/

https://www.instagram.com/ranyanehmeh/

https://x.com/ranyan

About Mike Coffey:

Mike Coffey is an entrepreneur, licensed private investigator, business strategist, HR consultant, and registered yoga teacher. In 1999, he founded Imperative, a background investigations and due diligence firm helping risk-averse clients make well-informed decisions about the people they involve in their business.

Imperative delivers in-depth employment background investigations, know-your-customer and anti-money laundering compliance, and due diligence investigations to more than 300 risk-averse corporate clients across the US, and, through its PFC Caregiver & Household Screening brand, many more private estates, family offices, and personal service agencies. Imperative has been named a Best Places to Work, the Texas Association of Business’ small business of the year, and is accredited by the Professional Background Screening Association. Mike shares his insight from 25+ years of HR-entrepreneurship on the Good Morning, HR podcast, where each week he talks to business leaders about bringing people together to create value for customers, shareholders, and community.

Mike has been recognized as an Entrepreneur of Excellence by FW, Inc. and has twice been recognized as the North Texas HR Professional of the Year. Mike serves as a board member of a number of organizations, including the Texas State Council, where he serves Texas’ 31 SHRM chapters as State Director-Elect; Workforce Solutions for Tarrant County; the Texas Association of Business; and the Fort Worth Chamber of Commerce, where he is chair of the Talent Committee. Mike is a certified Senior Professional in Human Resources (SPHR) through the HR Certification Institute and a SHRM Senior Certified Professional (SHRM-SCP). He is also a Yoga Alliance registered yoga teacher (RYT-200) and teaches multiple times each week.

Mike and his very patient wife of 28 years are empty nesters in Fort Worth.

Learning Objectives:

1. Recognize the impact of fully remote environments on collaboration, innovation, and newcomer integration.

2. Implement structured hybrid policies designed to promote collaboration and productivity.

3. Redesign performance management systems to include measurable KPIs for mentoring, timely response to help requests, and cross-functional collaboration to counteract the individual contributor mindset that remote work can foster.

They discuss defining engagement as safety and appreciation rather than superficial perks; using the Great Game of Business approach to financial transparency and employee involvement; reducing turnover through cultural changes; prioritizing practical benefits over traditional perks; creating special interest groups beyond typical affinity programs; sourcing engagement ideas through HR office hours and direct employee feedback; addressing soft skills gaps in the emerging workforce; and the importance of trust-building through hands-on leadership presence.

Check out Episode 112 of Good Morning, HR featuring Monica Guzmán, author of I Never Thought of It That Way. Her insights on the value of curiosity and conversation when engaging with opposing viewpoints are especially relevant today.

Good Morning, HR is brought to you by Imperative—Bulletproof Background Checks. For more information about our commitment to quality and excellent customer service, visit us at https://imperativeinfo.com.

If you are an HRCI or SHRM-certified professional, this episode of Good Morning, HR has been pre-approved for half a recertification credit. To obtain the recertification information for this episode, visit https://goodmorninghr.com.

About our Guest:

Rose Ann Garza, SPHR, SHRM-SCP, is the Chief Human Resources Officer for Kerbey Lane. During her time at Kerbey Lane the organization has more than doubled in size and has won several prestigious awards related to their impact within the community and on their team members.

Prior to joining Kerbey Lane, Rose Ann built her career in the restaurant and hospitality industry working with Destination Hotel and Resorts and Brinker International.

A member of Kerbey Lane’s Executive Team, she leads the execution of Kerbey Lane’s people strategy as well as builds organizational capability and team member culture to further enable Kerbey Lane’s growth and impact.

She also serves as the strategic business advisor to senior leadership and the Managing Partners of each location regarding key organizational and management issues.

In addition to her role at Kerbey Lane, Rose Ann serves on the SHRM Membership Advisory Council (2025-2026) representing the Southwest Central Region and over 50,000 SHRM Members across ten states. She also serves on the Texas SHRM Board of Directors Executive Council as the Immediate Past State Director.

Rose Ann previously served Texas SHRM in the roles of State Director, State Director Elect, Assistant State Director- District Directors and Core Leadership Area Directors, District Director and as the Workforce Readiness Director. Rose Ann has also served her local SHRM chapter, Austin SHRM, as President, President Elect, and Vice President of Programs.

In 2024 Rose Ann was named the HR Executive of the Year by Austin SHRM and recently, in June 2025, Rose Ann was honored as the inaugural recipient of the Austin Business Journal’s HR Impact Award.

Rose Ann received a Bachelor of Arts from Texas State University and a Master of Fine Arts from The University of Texas at Austin.

Rose Ann Garza can be reached at

https://kerbeylanecafe.com

https://www.linkedin.com/in/roseanngarza

About Mike Coffey:

Mike Coffey is an entrepreneur, licensed private investigator, business strategist, HR consultant, and registered yoga teacher. In 1999, he founded Imperative, a background investigations and due diligence firm helping risk-averse clients make well-informed decisions about the people they involve in their business.

Imperative delivers in-depth employment background investigations, know-your-customer and anti-money laundering compliance, and due diligence investigations to more than 300 risk-averse corporate clients across the US, and, through its PFC Caregiver & Household Screening brand, many more private estates, family offices, and personal service agencies. Imperative has been named a Best Places to Work, the Texas Association of Business’ small business of the year, and is accredited by the Professional Background Screening Association. Mike shares his insight from 25+ years of HR-entrepreneurship on the Good Morning, HR podcast, where each week he talks to business leaders about bringing people together to create value for customers, shareholders, and community.

Mike has been recognized as an Entrepreneur of Excellence by FW, Inc. and has twice been recognized as the North Texas HR Professional of the Year. Mike serves as a board member of a number of organizations, including the Texas State Council, where he serves Texas’ 31 SHRM chapters as State Director-Elect; Workforce Solutions for Tarrant County; the Texas Association of Business; and the Fort Worth Chamber of Commerce, where he is chair of the Talent Committee. Mike is a certified Senior Professional in Human Resources (SPHR) through the HR Certification Institute and a SHRM Senior Certified Professional (SHRM-SCP). He is also a Yoga Alliance registered yoga teacher (RYT-200) and teaches multiple times each week.

Mike and his very patient wife of 28 years are empty nesters in Fort Worth.

Learning Objectives:

1. Implement transparent financial sharing and employee involvement in business decisions to create ownership mentality, teaching financial literacy that benefits both company performance and personal employee development.

2. Design engagement benefits that address actual employee needs rather than assumed preferences, focusing on practical support like meal allowances for families instead of traditional corporate perks.

3. Establish regular face-to-face contact with frontline employees through scheduled office hours and hands-on work experience to build trust and gather authentic feedback for engagement initiatives.

They discuss the retirement wave with 40% of tradespeople leaving in 7-10 years; barriers to entry including complex licensing requirements and limited apprenticeship slots; shifting cultural attitudes away from trades toward college; recruiting as a marketing activity requiring better messaging; retention problems masquerading as labor shortages; the need for career progression paths and leadership development; creating friction in hiring processes to assess cultural fit; and specialized leadership training approaches for hands-on learners.

Good Morning, HR is brought to you by Imperative—Bulletproof Background Checks. For more information about our commitment to quality and excellent customer service, visit us at https://imperativeinfo.com.

If you are an HRCI or SHRM-certified professional, this episode of Good Morning, HR has been pre-approved for half a recertification credit. To obtain the recertification information for this episode, visit https://goodmorninghr.com.

About our Guest:

Ryan Englin is passionate about supporting growing businesses, particularly in blue-collar industries, to build amazingly productive companies by hiring the right people.

Growing up, he saw his own father working 12-hour shifts and weekends as an owner/operator, witnessing firsthand the struggles that these companies have in hiring quality frontline employees. Ryan was determined to help them find a better way.

His company, Core Matters, provides coaching and training on attracting, hiring, and retaining rock star employees. Using his proven process, the Core Fit Hiring System, small and midsize businesses learn how to start hiring better people, faster. With almost a decade in the business, Ryan has worked with over a hundred clients, helping business owners achieve their goals by hiring the right people.

Ryan Englin can be reached at

https://corematters.com

https://linkedin.com/in/ryanenglin

About Mike Coffey:

Mike Coffey is an entrepreneur, licensed private investigator, business strategist, HR consultant, and registered yoga teacher. In 1999, he founded Imperative, a background investigations and due diligence firm helping risk-averse clients make well-informed decisions about the people they involve in their business.

Imperative delivers in-depth employment background investigations, know-your-customer and anti-money laundering compliance, and due diligence investigations to more than 300 risk-averse corporate clients across the US, and, through its PFC Caregiver & Household Screening brand, many more private estates, family offices, and personal service agencies. Imperative has been named a Best Places to Work, the Texas Association of Business’ small business of the year, and is accredited by the Professional Background Screening Association. Mike shares his insight from 25+ years of HR-entrepreneurship on the Good Morning, HR podcast, where each week he talks to business leaders about bringing people together to create value for customers, shareholders, and community.

Mike has been recognized as an Entrepreneur of Excellence by FW, Inc. and has twice been recognized as the North Texas HR Professional of the Year. Mike serves as a board member of a number of organizations, including the Texas State Council, where he serves Texas’ 31 SHRM chapters as State Director-Elect; Workforce Solutions for Tarrant County; the Texas Association of Business; and the Fort Worth Chamber of Commerce, where he is chair of the Talent Committee. Mike is a certified Senior Professional in Human Resources (SPHR) through the HR Certification Institute and a SHRM Senior Certified Professional (SHRM-SCP). He is also a Yoga Alliance registered yoga teacher (RYT-200) and teaches multiple times each week.

Mike and his very patient wife of 28 years are empty nesters in Fort Worth.

Learning Objectives:

1. Reframe recruiting efforts as marketing activities that sell the lifestyle, earning potential, and career advancement opportunities in trades rather than focusing solely on job descriptions and technical requirements.

2. Develop comprehensive career progression pathways with clear visual representations showing advancement from entry-level to leadership roles, addressing the retention crisis caused by unclear growth opportunities.

3. Design hiring processes that assess cultural fit and behavioral alignment first, using practical tests like punctuality expectations and environment-specific interviews rather than relying solely on technical skills assessment.

They discuss ongoing remote work debates; the evolution from hiring for skills to hiring for learning ability; the need for experimentation in remote team management; AI's role in skills analysis and internal talent mapping; building learning ecosystems between companies and educational institutions; the importance of knowing employee capabilities outside of their role-specific tasks; and HR's evolving role as facilitators of organizational awareness and AI governance.

Good Morning, HR is brought to you by Imperative—Bulletproof Background Checks. For more information about our commitment to quality and excellent customer service, visit us at https://imperativeinfo.com.

If you are an HRCI or SHRM-certified professional, this episode of Good Morning, HR has been pre-approved for half a recertification credit. To obtain the recertification information for this episode, visit https://goodmorninghr.com.

About our Guest:

Steve Cadigan is a highly sought-after talent advisor to leaders and organizations across the globe. As Founder of his own Silicon Valley-based firm, Cadigan Talent Ventures, Steve advises a wide range of innovative organizations that include Google, Cisco, Intel, and The Royal Bank of Scotland, Manchester United Football Club, The Country Music Association and the BBC. He is also regularly retained by some leading VC (Venture Capital) and Consulting firms such as Andreesen Horowitz, McKinsey & Company, Deloitte, and Greylock Partners for his counsel on a wide range of talent topics.

Since 2021 Steve has been recognized every year as a top 100 thought leader in the world of Talent and People.

Steve speaks at conferences and teaches in major universities around the world. His work in helping shape the culture at LinkedIn led Stanford University to build a graduate-level class around this ground-breaking work. Steve is frequently asked to appear on global TV and is a frequent guest on Bloomberg West, CBS, and CNBC.

Throughout his career, the teams, cultures, and organizations he has led and helped build have been recognized as exceptional, “world-class” performers by the Wall Street Journal and Fortune Magazine.

Before launching his firm, Steve worked as an HR executive for over 25 years at a wide range of companies and industries including ESPRIT, Fireman’s Fund Insurance, Cisco Systems, PMC-Sierra, Electronic Arts and capped by serving as the first CHRO for LinkedIn from 2009 through 2012, taking the company from a private firm of 400 employees, through an IPO and helping set it up to be the powerhouse that it has become today. In 2021 Steve received the high honor of being invited by both The University of San Francisco and Stanford University to deliver their commencement speeches.

Today Steve serves on the Board of Directors to three companies and also sits on the Advisory Board of several other progressive organizations. His passion is helping leaders and companies build compelling talent strategies.

In August of 2021 Steve published a ground-breaking book on the Future of Work titled Workquake: Embracing the Aftershocks of COVID-19 to Create a Better Model of Working.

Even before its official release it realized #1 on the Amazon list of Hot New Releases. In the summer of 2025 Steve launched a new podcast series called Workquake Weekly.

Over his career, Steve has lived in Singapore, Canada, and the United States. He has interviewed, hired, coached and mentored thousands of employees and leaders within a wide range of industries and geographies. This is what sets Steve apart from others who speak about the future of work. Steve has lived deep inside the world of work as an employee AND as an employer. His experiences and achievements give him a unique and authoritative point of view, essential to all discussions about the future of work.

Today Steve lives in California with his family. He is the father of four boys and the stepdad to two girls. When he is not speaking, teaching, or writing, you can find Steve coaching basketball, playing tennis, body surfing, driving his kids everywhere, or cheering them on at their activities.

Steve graduated from Wesleyan University with a BA in History and received a Master’s Degree in HR & Organization Development from the University of San Francisco.

Workquake: Embracing the Aftershocks of COVID-19 to Create a Better Model of Working : https://a.co/d/3uORSF4

Workquake Weekly Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/workquake-weekly/id1815731966

Steve Cadigan can be reached at https://stevecadigan.com.

About Mike Coffey:

Mike Coffey is an entrepreneur, licensed private investigator, business strategist, HR consultant, and registered yoga teacher. In 1999, he founded Imperative, a background investigations and due diligence firm helping risk-averse clients make well-informed decisions about the people they involve in their business.

Imperative delivers in-depth employment background investigations, know-your-customer and anti-money laundering compliance, and due diligence investigations to more than 300 risk-averse corporate clients across the US, and, through its PFC Caregiver & Household Screening brand, many more private estates, family offices, and personal service agencies. Imperative has been named a Best Places to Work, the Texas Association of Business’ small business of the year, and is accredited by the Professional Background Screening Association. Mike shares his insight from 25+ years of HR-entrepreneurship on the Good Morning, HR podcast, where each week he talks to business leaders about bringing people together to create value for customers, shareholders, and community.

Mike has been recognized as an Entrepreneur of Excellence by FW, Inc. and has twice been recognized as the North Texas HR Professional of the Year. Mike serves as a board member of a number of organizations, including the Texas State Council, where he serves Texas’ 31 SHRM chapters as State Director-Elect; Workforce Solutions for Tarrant County; the Texas Association of Business; and the Fort Worth Chamber of Commerce, where he is chair of the Talent Committee. Mike is a certified Senior Professional in Human Resources (SPHR) through the HR Certification Institute and a SHRM Senior Certified Professional (SHRM-SCP). He is also a Yoga Alliance registered yoga teacher (RYT-200) and teaches multiple times each week.

Mike and his very patient wife of 28 years are empty nesters in Fort Worth.

Learning Objectives:

1. Shift hiring strategies from evaluating what candidates already know to assessing their capacity to learn new skills quickly, as the shelf life of current competencies continues to shrink.

2. Develop comprehensive internal talent mapping systems that identify employees' transferable skills and potential for different roles within the organization, similar to how companies track customer data.

3. Create experimental approaches to remote work management rather than rigid policies, to determine what productivity and culture practices work best for specific team dynamics.

They discuss why managers struggle with feedback and difficult conversations; building trust before challenging feedback becomes necessary; cultural differences in feedback acceptance across organizations and countries; avoiding the ineffective "feedback sandwich" approach; when to be specific and when to ask open-ended questions; managing employee emotional responses through the SARA model; addressing resistance and performance improvement barriers; and knowing where to draw the line between performance counseling and trying to solve employees’ personal issues.

Good Morning, HR is brought to you by Imperative—Bulletproof Background Checks. For more information about our commitment to quality and excellent customer service, visit us at https://imperativeinfo.com.

If you are an HRCI or SHRM-certified professional, this episode of Good Morning, HR has been pre-approved for half a recertification credit. To obtain the recertification information for this episode, visit https://goodmorninghr.com.

About our Guest:

Carolyn Troyan currently is the President & CEO of Leadership 360. Leadership 360 is aHuman Resources consulting and leadership coaching firm. Carolyn provides coaching to leaders at all levels to accelerate their learning and take a holistic view on their development.

Trained in the Hudson Institute’s leadership coaching model, Carolyn works with leaders to design a 3 to 6 month coaching program that results in a comprehensive plan to accelerate their development. Carolyn has over 20 years of HR leadership and coaching experience spanning industries as diverse as technology, healthcare, renewable energy, manufacturing, and interactive entertainment.

Carolyn held global HR executive roles at Electronic Arts, TIBCO Software, Siebel Systems, and was a strategic rewards consultant at Mercer Consulting. Carolyn can quickly understand your leaders’ strengths and challenges, help them move to insights and partner with them to develop successful strategies in order to thrive and deliver results. Carolyn holds a B.A. in Psychology and Political Science from Miami University and an MBA in Corporate Strategy from the University of Michigan.

In addition to running Leadership 360, Carolyn is an advocate for diversity in leadership, regularly contributing to thought leadership in the field and volunteering her time to mentor and support emerging leaders from underrepresented backgrounds.

Carolyn can be reached at https://www.leadership-360.org https://www.linkedin.com/in/carolyn-troyan-5861331

About Mike Coffey:

Mike Coffey is an entrepreneur, licensed private investigator, business strategist, HR consultant, and registered yoga teacher. In 1999, he founded Imperative, a background investigations and due diligence firm helping risk-averse clients make well-informed decisions about the people they involve in their business.

Imperative delivers in-depth employment background investigations, know-your-customer and anti-money laundering compliance, and due diligence investigations to more than 300 risk-averse corporate clients across the US, and, through its PFC Caregiver & Household Screening brand, many more private estates, family offices, and personal service agencies. Imperative has been named a Best Places to Work, the Texas Association of Business’ small business of the year, and is accredited by the Professional Background Screening Association. Mike shares his insight from 25+ years of HR-entrepreneurship on the Good Morning, HR podcast, where each week he talks to business leaders about bringing people together to create value for customers, shareholders, and community.

Mike has been recognized as an Entrepreneur of Excellence by FW, Inc. and has twice been recognized as the North Texas HR Professional of the Year. Mike serves as a board member of a number of organizations, including the Texas State Council, where he serves Texas’ 31 SHRM chapters as State Director-Elect; Workforce Solutions for Tarrant County; the Texas Association of Business; and the Fort Worth Chamber of Commerce, where he is chair of the Talent Committee. Mike is a certified Senior Professional in Human Resources (SPHR) through the HR Certification Institute and a SHRM Senior Certified Professional (SHRM-SCP). He is also a Yoga Alliance registered yoga teacher (RYT-200) and teaches multiple times each week.

Mike and his very patient wife of 28 years are empty nesters in Fort Worth.

Learning Objectives:

1. Establish trust-based relationships with employees through consistent positive feedback over time before delivering developmental feedback.

2. Deliver feedback effectively and in congruence with organizational and cultural norms.

3. Respond to employee resistance or external challenges that make performance change difficult.

They discuss Gallup's mid-year survey showing low engagement and high turnover intent; psychological safety and mental health support strategies; individualized management approaches vs one-size-fits-all policies; problems with forced ranking performance systems; ongoing feedback versus annual reviews; the costs of poor management training; rebuilding disengaged teams through bias awareness and peer input; and streamlining hiring processes that currently involve excessive interview rounds.

Links to stuff they talked about are on our website at https://goodmorninghr.com/EP215 and include the following topics:

Gallup: Anemic Employee Engagement Points to Leadership Challenges.

• Web Pro News: Big Tech Mandates Low Performer Quotas, Eroding Morale and Innovation
• Harvard Business Review: 6 Steps to Reset a Demotivated Team
• Reddit: What is up with 3+ Rounds of Interviews for jobs paying less than $100K? : r/interviews
• HR Reporter: Are employees building emotional connections with ChatGPT?
• Reddit: ChatGPT is my best friend : r/ChatGPT
• Reddit: My Boyfriend Is AI
• Reddit: AI Soulmates HR Reporter: With IBM laying off 100s of HR people, is automation replacing HR? | Canadian HR Reporter
• The Wall Street Journal: IBM CEO Says AI Has Replaced Hundreds of Workers but Created New Programming, Sales Jobs
• Harvard Business Review: Research: Executives Who Used Gen AI Made Worse Predictions
• Topgrading, 3rd Edition: The Proven Hiring and Promoting Method That Turbocharges Company Performance by Bradford D. Smart, PhD https://a.co/d/9N2pJXl

Good Morning, HR is brought to you by Imperative—Bulletproof Background Checks. For more information about our commitment to quality and excellent customer service, visit us at https://imperativeinfo.com.

If you are an HRCI or SHRM-certified professional, this episode of Good Morning, HR has been pre-approved for three-quarters of a recertification credit. To obtain the recertification information for this episode, visit https://goodmorninghr.com.

About our Guest:

Gabriela established People Performance Resources (PPR), a full-service Human Capital consulting firm, in 2010. Since then, Gabriela and her team have continued to expand their reach in providing strategic and best practice expertise with a proven track record of enhancing operational excellence.

Gabriela is a highly regarded and sought-after trusted advisor to many local, national, and international organizations and their decisionmakers. Here are a few of Gabriela’s areas of focus: bilingual/bicultural expertise, organizational analysis and development, C-level business continuity planning, executive coaching, executive compensation, change management, strategic planning, employment compliance, board governance guidance, and more.

Gabriela serves as board of directors for Out Teach, Catch Up & Read, and The Dallas Summit. In addition, she supports several local and national causes that empower education, social justice, women’s causes, children at risk, and conservation efforts. When not enjoying her professional adventures, Gabriela is a foodie who loves traveling, running, hiking, snorkeling, and spending time with her friends, family, and rescue dog, Harley.

Gabriela Norton can be reached at: https://www.pprhr.com https://www.linkedin.com/in/gabrielanorton https://www.facebook.com/pprhr https://www.instagram.com/ppr_hr

About Mike Coffey:

Mike Coffey is an entrepreneur, licensed private investigator, business strategist, HR consultant, and registered yoga teacher. In 1999, he founded Imperative, a background investigations and due diligence firm helping risk-averse clients make well-informed decisions about the people they involve in their business.

Imperative delivers in-depth employment background investigations, know-your-customer and anti-money laundering compliance, and due diligence investigations to more than 300 risk-averse corporate clients across the US, and, through its PFC Caregiver & Household Screening brand, many more private estates, family offices, and personal service agencies. Imperative has been named a Best Places to Work, the Texas Association of Business’ small business of the year, and is accredited by the Professional Background Screening Association. Mike shares his insight from 25+ years of HR-entrepreneurship on the Good Morning, HR podcast, where each week he talks to business leaders about bringing people together to create value for customers, shareholders, and community.

Mike has been recognized as an Entrepreneur of Excellence by FW, Inc. and has twice been recognized as the North Texas HR Professional of the Year. Mike serves as a board member of a number of organizations, including the Texas State Council, where he serves Texas’ 31 SHRM chapters as State Director-Elect; Workforce Solutions for Tarrant County; the Texas Association of Business; and the Fort Worth Chamber of Commerce, where he is chair of the Talent Committee. Mike is a certified Senior Professional in Human Resources (SPHR) through the HR Certification Institute and a SHRM Senior Certified Professional (SHRM-SCP). He is also a Yoga Alliance registered yoga teacher (RYT-200) and teaches multiple times each week.

Mike and his very patient wife of 28 years are empty nesters in Fort Worth.

Learning Objectives:

1. Create psychological safety environments where employees can openly discuss workload concerns and receive supportive responses rather than punitive reactions to mental health needs.

2. Implement ongoing performance feedback systems with specific behavioral expectations and regular check-ins instead of relying on annual reviews with subjective rating scales.

3. Design efficient hiring processes with clear competency rubrics and bias acknowledgment techniques while limiting interviews to three meaningful rounds focused on skills and cultural fit.

CMP’s C-Suite State of Mind Pulse Check 2025 is available at https://www.careermp.com/csuite-pulse-check-2025.  

Good Morning, HR is brought to you by Imperative—Bulletproof Background Checks. For more information about our commitment to quality and excellent customer service, visit us at https://imperativeinfo.com.  

If you are an HRCI or SHRM-certified professional, this episode of Good Morning, HR has been pre-approved for half a recertification credit. Business Credit for SPHRs. To obtain the recertification information for this episode, visit https://goodmorninghr.com. 

About our Guest: 

Joe Frodsham is President of CMP, the largest minority- and woman-owned talent solutions firm in the nation. CMP supports thousands of professionals in career transition annually while deploying contemporary assessment, coaching, and training solutions for targeted succession and development. 

Joe has extensive experience across Fortune 500 companies in leading human resource functions and building cutting-edge talent management systems. Joe is a regular contributor to Forbes, co-hosts the American Narratives podcast, and has co-authored two seminal books on careers—Make it Work and Don’t Dread Monday. 

Joe will be presenting at the Fort Worth HR Strategic Mindset Conference on September 12th. And you can learn more about that conference at fwhr.org. 

Joe Frodsham can be reached at 

https://www.careermp.com 

https://www.linkedin.com/in/jfrodsham 

About Mike Coffey: 

Mike Coffey is an entrepreneur, licensed private investigator, business strategist, HR consultant, and registered yoga teacher. 

In 1999, he founded Imperative, a background investigations and due diligence firm helping risk-averse clients make well-informed decisions about the people they involve in their business. 

Imperative delivers in-depth employment background investigations, know-your-customer and anti-money laundering compliance, and due diligence investigations to more than 300 risk-averse corporate clients across the US, and, through its PFC Caregiver & Household Screening brand, many more private estates, family offices, and personal service agencies. 

Imperative has been named a Best Places to Work, the Texas Association of Business’ small business of the year, and is accredited by the Professional Background Screening Association.  

Mike shares his insight from 25+ years of HR-entrepreneurship on the Good Morning, HR podcast, where each week he talks to business leaders about bringing people together to create value for customers, shareholders, and community. 

Mike has been recognized as an Entrepreneur of Excellence by FW, Inc. and has twice been recognized as the North Texas HR Professional of the Year.  

Mike serves as a board member of a number of organizations, including the Texas State Council, where he serves Texas’ 31 SHRM chapters as State Director-Elect; Workforce Solutions for Tarrant County; the Texas Association of Business; and the Fort Worth Chamber of Commerce, where he is chair of the Talent Committee. 

Mike is a certified Senior Professional in Human Resources (SPHR) through the HR Certification Institute and a SHRM Senior Certified Professional (SHRM-SCP). He is also a Yoga Alliance registered yoga teacher (RYT-200) and teaches multiple times each week. 

Mike and his very patient wife of 28 years are empty nesters in Fort Worth.  

Learning Objectives: 

Recognize that executive mental health directly impacts business outcomes and implement clinical support resources and individualized wellness strategies rather than generic programs. 

Develop better metrics for measuring engagement including career health indicators, management reviews with upward feedback, and individual assessment tools that drive real-time conversations. 

Understand that job security and stress levels vary significantly by ownership structure (private equity vs public vs privately held) and tailor retention strategies accordingly. 

Good Morning, HR is brought to you by Imperative—Bulletproof Background Checks. For more information about our commitment to quality and excellent customer service, visit us at https://imperativeinfo.com.  

If you are an HRCI or SHRM-certified professional, this episode of Good Morning, HR has been pre-approved for half a recertification credit—business credit for SPHRs! To obtain the recertification information for this episode, visit https://goodmorninghr.com.  

About our Guest: 

Vianei Braun leads the employment law practice at Decker Jones, P.C., a full-service law firm in Fort Worth. She has been recognized as a Texas Monthly “Super Lawyer” and is listed in Best Lawyers in America for Labor & Employment Law.  

Vianei is also a member of the Board of Directors of First Financial Bankshares, Inc. (NASDAQ: FFIN), a banking institution with assets of $14 billion and 79 banking locations throughout Texas. Vianei serves on the board’s Compensation, Nom/Gov and Risk Committees and chairs the Advisory Board of First Financial Bank’s Chisholm Trail Region. In addition, Vianei serves on the Board of Trustees and the Audit & Compliance Committee of Texas Health Resources.  

Vianei is an honors graduate of Princeton University and the University of Texas School of Law. Vianei has been honored as a “Great Woman of Texas” by the Fort Worth Business Press, and as a member of the “Fort Worth 500” by Fort Worth Inc. 

Vianei Braun can be reached at 

www.deckerjones.com 

www.linkedin.com/in/vianeibraunattorney 

About Mike Coffey: 

Mike Coffey is an entrepreneur, licensed private investigator, business strategist, HR consultant, and registered yoga teacher. 

In 1999, he founded Imperative, a background investigations and due diligence firm helping risk-averse clients make well-informed decisions about the people they involve in their business. 

Imperative delivers in-depth employment background investigations, know-your-customer and anti-money laundering compliance, and due diligence investigations to more than 300 risk-averse corporate clients across the US, and, through its PFC Caregiver & Household Screening brand, many more private estates, family offices, and personal service agencies. 

Imperative has been named a Best Places to Work, the Texas Association of Business’ small business of the year, and is accredited by the Professional Background Screening Association.  

Mike shares his insight from 25+ years of HR-entrepreneurship on the Good Morning, HR podcast, where each week he talks to business leaders about bringing people together to create value for customers, shareholders, and community. 

Mike has been recognized as an Entrepreneur of Excellence by FW, Inc. and has twice been recognized as the North Texas HR Professional of the Year.  

Mike serves as a board member of a number of organizations, including the Texas State Council, where he serves Texas’ 31 SHRM chapters as State Director-Elect; Workforce Solutions for Tarrant County; the Texas Association of Business; and the Fort Worth Chamber of Commerce, where he is chair of the Talent Committee. 

Mike is a certified Senior Professional in Human Resources (SPHR) through the HR Certification Institute and a SHRM Senior Certified Professional (SHRM-SCP). He is also a Yoga Alliance registered yoga teacher (RYT-200) and teaches multiple times each week. 

Mike and his very patient wife of 28 years are empty nesters in Fort Worth.  

Learning Objectives: 

Develop strategic thinking capabilities that focus on industry trends and long-term organizational health rather than just operational HR tasks when communicating with senior leadership. 

Present data-driven recommendations to boards using benchmarking, competitive analysis, and concrete evidence to support HR initiatives and policy changes. 

Shift from a compliance-focused "department of no" mindset to a collaborative problem-solving approach that offers solutions while managing organizational risks. 
 

They discuss research showing dressed professionals outperform casual counterparts in negotiations; Starbucks dress code changes and employee pushback; balancing authenticity with professional standards; remote work appearance challenges; “enclothed cognition” research on clothing's psychological effects; specific vs general dress code guidelines; ways employees can express personality while maintaining consistency; managing difficult dress code conversations with employees; and the business impact of first impressions.

Good Morning, HR is brought to you by Imperative—Bulletproof Background Checks. For more information about our commitment to quality and excellent customer service, visit us at https://imperativeinfo.com.

If you are an HRCI or SHRM-certified professional, this episode of Good Morning, HR has been pre-approved for half a recertification credit. To obtain the recertification information for this episode, visit https://goodmorninghr.com.

About our Guest:

It takes less than seven seconds to make a first impression. Elisa is a wardrobe stylist, speaker, best-selling author, and online course creator.

Elisa says what HR can’t and works with businesses to help them guide and educate their teams on professional presence, revealing how upgrading your attire ignites productivity, amplifies sales, and fosters collaboration and overall success.

Personal styling is more than a wardrobe haul; it’s a transformation that introduces you to your inner awesomeness.

For nearly a decade, Elisa has transformed the closets and lives of clients across the US and abroad. Whether you’re a business owner, executive, or entrepreneur, how you show up matters.

Elisa Ellis can be reached at https://www.turnkeystyle.com https://www.linkedin.com/in/elisaellis https://www.instagram.com/stylishcurvygirl

About Mike Coffey:

Mike Coffey is an entrepreneur, licensed private investigator, business strategist, HR consultant, and registered yoga teacher. In 1999, he founded Imperative, a background investigations and due diligence firm helping risk-averse clients make well-informed decisions about the people they involve in their business.

Imperative delivers in-depth employment background investigations, know-your-customer and anti-money laundering compliance, and due diligence investigations to more than 300 risk-averse corporate clients across the US, and, through its PFC Caregiver & Household Screening brand, many more private estates, family offices, and personal service agencies. Imperative has been named a Best Places to Work, the Texas Association of Business’ small business of the year, and is accredited by the Professional Background Screening Association. Mike shares his insight from 25+ years of HR-entrepreneurship on the Good Morning, HR podcast, where each week he talks to business leaders about bringing people together to create value for customers, shareholders, and community.

Mike has been recognized as an Entrepreneur of Excellence by FW, Inc. and has twice been recognized as the North Texas HR Professional of the Year. Mike serves as a board member of a number of organizations, including the Texas State Council, where he serves Texas’ 31 SHRM chapters as State Director-Elect; Workforce Solutions for Tarrant County; the Texas Association of Business; and the Fort Worth Chamber of Commerce, where he is chair of the Talent Committee. Mike is a certified Senior Professional in Human Resources (SPHR) through the HR Certification Institute and a SHRM Senior Certified Professional (SHRM-SCP). He is also a Yoga Alliance registered yoga teacher (RYT-200) and teaches multiple times each week.

Mike and his very patient wife of 28 years are empty nesters in Fort Worth.

Learning Objectives:

1. Understand that employee appearance directly impacts business outcomes, with research showing significant differences in sales performance and decision-making abilities based on professional dress.

2. Develop clear, specific dress code guidelines that provide examples and accommodate different roles while maintaining brand consistency across the organization.

3. Frame dress code conversations around employee growth and career advancement rather than personal criticism, emphasizing the connection between professional appearance and business opportunities.

They discuss the Astronomer.io CEO and CPO resignation after being caught on a kiss cam at a Coldplay concert; workplace relationship policies and conflict of interest considerations; family members inappropriately intervening in workplace matters including interviews and disciplinary actions; declining employee engagement levels comparable to 2020 COVID-era lows; the impact of economic uncertainty and social pressures on workplace morale; the importance of transparent communication during difficult times; and strategies for addressing engagement issues through accountability and leadership development at all organizational levels.

Good Morning, HR is brought to you by Imperative—Bulletproof Background Checks. For more information about our commitment to quality and excellent customer service, visit us at https://imperativeinfo.com.

If you are an HRCI or SHRM-certified professional, this episode of Good Morning, HR has been pre-approved for half a recertification credit. To obtain the recertification information for this episode, visit https://goodmorninghr.com.

About our Guest:

Michele Haugh is a seasoned HR expert with decades of experience across various roles, from specialist to senior leadership positions. Transitioning from corporate HR to consulting a decade ago, she co-founded EarlyHR solutions, offering strategic support to over 200 early and growth stage organizations.

Recognizing the crucial link between employee engagement and organizational success, Michele introduced EarlyEngage, a subscription-based service focusing on professional development and fostering engagement.

With a BS in Business and SPHR certification, she completed her Masters in HR and Organization Development in December, 2024 and was named "HR Consultant of the Year" by DallasHR in February 2025. Her passion lies in promoting inclusive practices, positive leadership, and people-first cultures.

She is also the founder of CollabHRate, a thriving HR Consulting Community fostering collaboration and education for external consultants.

Outside of work, Michele finds joy in her role as a wife and mother to three children. Her adventurous spirit has led her to live in Bangkok, backpack across Europe, and raft through the Grand Canyon. Yet, she equally treasures quiet moments with her pups, indulging in a good book, and hosting gatherings with loved ones.

Michele Haugh can be reached at

https://www.earlyengage.com

https://www.earlyhrsolutions.com

https://www.linkedin.com/in/michele-haugh-shrm-scp-401722b

https://www.instagram.com/earlyengage

About Mike Coffey:

Mike Coffey is an entrepreneur, licensed private investigator, business strategist, HR consultant, and registered yoga teacher. In 1999, he founded Imperative, a background investigations and due diligence firm helping risk-averse clients make well-informed decisions about the people they involve in their business.

Imperative delivers in-depth employment background investigations, know-your-customer and anti-money laundering compliance, and due diligence investigations to more than 300 risk-averse corporate clients across the US, and, through its PFC Caregiver & Household Screening brand, many more private estates, family offices, and personal service agencies. Imperative has been named a Best Places to Work, the Texas Association of Business’ small business of the year, and is accredited by the Professional Background Screening Association. Mike shares his insight from 25+ years of HR-entrepreneurship on the Good Morning, HR podcast, where each week he talks to business leaders about bringing people together to create value for customers, shareholders, and community.

Mike has been recognized as an Entrepreneur of Excellence by FW, Inc. and has twice been recognized as the North Texas HR Professional of the Year. Mike serves as a board member of a number of organizations, including the Texas State Council, where he serves Texas’ 31 SHRM chapters as State Director-Elect; Workforce Solutions for Tarrant County; the Texas Association of Business; and the Fort Worth Chamber of Commerce, where he is chair of the Talent Committee. Mike is a certified Senior Professional in Human Resources (SPHR) through the HR Certification Institute and a SHRM Senior Certified Professional (SHRM-SCP). He is also a Yoga Alliance registered yoga teacher (RYT-200) and teaches multiple times each week.

Mike and his very patient wife of 28 years are empty nesters in Fort Worth.

Learning Objectives:

1. Establish clear policies regarding workplace relationships and family member involvement in employment matters to maintain professional boundaries and prevent conflicts of interest.

2. Address declining employee engagement proactively by gathering honest feedback, communicating transparently about organizational challenges, and avoiding defensive responses to criticism.

3. Develop leadership behaviors and accountability standards at all organizational levels rather than viewing engagement as solely a management responsibility.

They discuss the impact of tariff-related economic uncertainty on the labor market; challenges in the quality of federal statistical data; AI’s impact on entry-level positions and experienced workers; generational workforce composition; rising reservation wages and skills mismatches among recent graduates; the importance of work-based learning and trades education; remote work patterns in different workforce segments; challenges with mentorship and feedback for younger workers in a remote workforce; and immigration's critical role in addressing labor force needs.

Good Morning, HR is brought to you by Imperative—Bulletproof Background Checks. For more information about our commitment to quality and excellent customer service, visit us at https://imperativeinfo.com.

If you are an HRCI or SHRM-certified professional, this episode of Good Morning, HR has been pre-approved for half a recertification credit. To obtain the recertification information for this episode, visit https://goodmorninghr.com.

About our Guest:

Rich Froeschle is a labor market economist and a highly regarded speaker on a wide array of topics relating to the Texas economy, regional labor markets, and workforce and education programs. He is the Senior Labor Market Economist for Texas State Technical College and the former Director of the Labor Market and Career Information department of the Texas Workforce Commission.

 Mr. Froeschle has a Bachelor’s degree in Economics from the University of Texas at Austin and a Master’s degree in Manpower and Industrial Relations from the University of North Texas, where he also taught microeconomics and regional labor market analysis. He has made presentations at over 600 conference events over the past twenty-five years on a variety of labor market topics. His many writings include the books How Many is Enough? A Practitioners Guide to Occupational Targeting and Supply/Demand Analysis and Where the Jobs Are, plus a dozen monographs including Life After COVID: Economic & Job Market Phenomena to Ponder Post-pandemic. His most recent research has centered on the use of skills to understand regional labor market dynamics, educational alignment, and career progressions.

Richard Froeschle can be reached at https://www.linkedin.com/in/richard-froeschle-01a87b13/

About Mike Coffey:

Mike Coffey is an entrepreneur, licensed private investigator, business strategist, HR consultant, and registered yoga teacher. 

In 1999, he founded Imperative, a background investigations and due diligence firm helping risk-averse clients make well-informed decisions about the people they involve in their business.

Imperative delivers in-depth employment background investigations, know-your-customer and anti-money laundering compliance, and due diligence investigations to more than 300 risk-averse corporate clients across the US, and, through its PFC Caregiver & Household Screening brand, many more private estates, family offices, and personal service agencies.

Imperative has been named a Best Places to Work, the Texas Association of Business’ small business of the year, and is accredited by the Professional Background Screening Association. 

Mike shares his insight from 25+ years of HR-entrepreneurship on the Good Morning, HR podcast, where each week he talks to business leaders about bringing people together to create value for customers, shareholders, and community.

Mike has been recognized as an Entrepreneur of Excellence by FW, Inc. and has twice been recognized as the North Texas HR Professional of the Year.

 Mike serves as a board member of a number of organizations, including the Texas State Council, where he serves Texas’ 31 SHRM chapters as State Director-Elect; Workforce Solutions for Tarrant County; the Texas Association of Business; and the Fort Worth Chamber of Commerce, where he is chair of the Talent Committee. 

Mike is a certified Senior Professional in Human Resources (SPHR) through the HR Certification Institute and a SHRM Senior Certified Professional (SHRM-SCP). He is also a Yoga Alliance registered yoga teacher (RYT-200) and teaches multiple times each week.

Mike and his very patient wife of 28 years are empty nesters in Fort Worth.

Learning Objectives:

1. Implement strategic workforce planning for talent development pathways considering demographics and the impact of AI.

2. Address the skills mismatch between educational credentials and market demand.

3. Develop structured mentorship and feedback systems that accommodate generational communication preferences while ensuring knowledge transfer from experienced to emerging workers.

They discuss how recruiting has changed with shifting employee expectations across generations and labor market scarcity; the definition of employer brand; common recruiting mistakes that impact brand perception; the importance of organized onboarding; strategies for transparent career pathing and professional development; handling employee exits and layoffs to protect employer brand; measuring employer brand; the critical role of manager training; and the need for transparency about business circumstances and organizational changes to maintain trust.

Good Morning, HR is brought to you by Imperative—Bulletproof Background Checks. For more information about our commitment to quality and excellent customer service, visit us at https://imperativeinfo.com.

If you are an HRCI or SHRM-certified professional, this episode of Good Morning, HR has been pre-approved for three-quarters of a recertification credit. To obtain the recertification information for this episode, visit https://goodmorninghr.com.

About our Guest:

Mallory Herrin is an experienced human resources consultant and industry recognized thought leader, serving as HerrinHR’s CEO and Principal HR Consultant. She is a frequent speaker at HR conferences and the author of Intentional HR: A Revolution in Strategic Thinking. With 20 years of HR experience, she holds certifications from both HRCI and SHRM, and has been named one of the Top 5 Most Influential Women Leaders in HR and DallasHR's HR Executive of the Year - Small Company.

Mallory Herrin can be reached at

https://www.herrinhr.com

https://www.linkedin.com/in/malloryherrin

About Mike Coffey:

Mike Coffey is an entrepreneur, licensed private investigator, business strategist, HR consultant, and registered yoga teacher. In 1999, he founded Imperative, a background investigations and due diligence firm helping risk-averse clients make well-informed decisions about the people they involve in their business.

Imperative delivers in-depth employment background investigations, know-your-customer and anti-money laundering compliance, and due diligence investigations to more than 300 risk-averse corporate clients across the US, and, through its PFC Caregiver & Household Screening brand, many more private estates, family offices, and personal service agencies. Imperative has been named a Best Places to Work, the Texas Association of Business’ small business of the year, and is accredited by the Professional Background Screening Association. Mike shares his insight from 25+ years of HR-entrepreneurship on the Good Morning, HR podcast, where each week he talks to business leaders about bringing people together to create value for customers, shareholders, and community.

Mike has been recognized as an Entrepreneur of Excellence by FW, Inc. and has twice been recognized as the North Texas HR Professional of the Year. Mike serves as a board member of a number of organizations, including the Texas State Council, where he serves Texas’ 31 SHRM chapters as State Director-Elect; Workforce Solutions for Tarrant County; the Texas Association of Business; and the Fort Worth Chamber of Commerce, where he is chair of the Talent Committee. Mike is a certified Senior Professional in Human Resources (SPHR) through the HR Certification Institute and a SHRM Senior Certified Professional (SHRM-SCP). He is also a Yoga Alliance registered yoga teacher (RYT-200) and teaches multiple times each week.

Mike and his very patient wife of 28 years are empty nesters in Fort Worth.

Learning Objectives:

1. Design streamlined recruiting processes that prioritize candidate communication, realistic timelines, and efficient interview structures to protect employer brand.

2. Implement comprehensive onboarding programs with detailed schedules, competency roadmaps, and clear performance expectations to ensure new employees feel valued and prepared for success.

3. Develop transparent communication strategies about career paths, business circumstances, and organizational changes while training managers to effectively lead and engage their teams rather than simply manage tasks.

They discuss why DOL interpretations matter for FLSA compliance and overtime requirements; the shift from Biden administration's six-factor economic reality test back to Trump administration's emphasis on control and profit/loss opportunity; the six key factors including nature and degree of control, opportunity for profit and loss, permanence of relationship, worker investments, skill and initiative requirements, and how integral the work is to the principal business; common classification mistakes across industries including misunderstanding IRS versus DOL tests; the risks of supervision and control over workers classified as contractors; how technology can demonstrate control in gig economy situations; the financial consequences of misclassification including unpaid overtime, liquidated damages, and attorney fees; and the importance of proper written agreements and immediate legal consultation when classification issues arise.

Good Morning, HR is brought to you by Imperative—Bulletproof Background Checks. For more information about our commitment to quality and excellent customer service, visit us at https://imperativeinfo.com. 

If you are an HRCI or SHRM-certified professional, this episode of Good Morning, HR has been pre-approved for half a recertification credit. To obtain the recertification information for this episode, visit https://goodmorninghr.com. 

About our Guest:

David Miklas owns a Labor & Employment law firm and for 26 years he has practiced all types of labor and employment law exclusively representing Florida employers.

 He has written hundreds of employment law articles, is the co-author for the premier legal textbook used by lawyers for Florida employment law, is a frequent employment law presenter and is a nationally recognized speaker and an invited guest lecturer addressing employment law and human resource issues with over thirty universities, including Harvard.

 Mr. Miklas graduated from the University of Florida College of Law.

David Miklas can be reached at

https://www.miklasemploymentlaw.com/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/david-miklas-301861121/

About Mike Coffey:

Mike Coffey is an entrepreneur, licensed private investigator, business strategist, HR consultant, and registered yoga teacher.

In 1999, he founded Imperative, a background investigations and due diligence firm helping risk-averse clients make well-informed decisions about the people they involve in their business.

Imperative delivers in-depth employment background investigations, know-your-customer and anti-money laundering compliance, and due diligence investigations to more than 300 risk-averse corporate clients across the US, and, through its PFC Caregiver & Household Screening brand, many more private estates, family offices, and personal service agencies.

Imperative has been named a Best Places to Work, the Texas Association of Business’ small business of the year, and is accredited by the Professional Background Screening Association.

Mike shares his insight from 25+ years of HR-entrepreneurship on the Good Morning, HR podcast, where each week he talks to business leaders about bringing people together to create value for customers, shareholders, and community.

Mike has been recognized as an Entrepreneur of Excellence by FW, Inc. and has twice been recognized as the North Texas HR Professional of the Year. 

Mike serves as a board member of a number of organizations, including the Texas State Council, where he serves Texas’ 31 SHRM chapters as State Director-Elect; Workforce Solutions for Tarrant County; the Texas Association of Business; and the Fort Worth Chamber of Commerce, where he is chair of the Talent Committee.

Mike is a certified Senior Professional in Human Resources (SPHR) through the HR Certification Institute and a SHRM Senior Certified Professional (SHRM-SCP). He is also a Yoga Alliance registered yoga teacher (RYT-200) and teaches multiple times each week.

Mike and his very patient wife of 28 years are empty nesters in Fort Worth. 

Learning Objectives:

1.       Evaluate worker relationships using the Trump Administration’s six-factor economic reality test.

2.       Differentiate between US Department of Labor independent contractor definitions and those of the and IRS and state regulators.

3.       Respond appropriately to classification concerns to avoid liability.

They discuss the four main parts of Medicare (A, B, C, and D) and how they work together; the differences between Medicare Advantage plans (Part C) and traditional Medicare with supplemental coverage; how creditable coverage determinations affect employees who continue working past age 65; the coordination of benefits between employer group health plans and Medicare based on company size; timing considerations for Medicare enrollment and the importance of planning three months before turning 65; why brokers may have financial incentives to sell Medicare Advantage plans over traditional Medicare; the risks and benefits of different Medicare options including network limitations and out-of-pocket maximums; and the role HR should play in connecting employees with qualified Medicare experts rather than providing specific coverage advice.

Good Morning, HR is brought to you by Imperative—Bulletproof Background Checks. For more information about our commitment to quality and excellent customer service, visit us at https://imperativeinfo.com. 

If you are an HRCI or SHRM-certified professional, this episode of Good Morning, HR has been pre-approved for half a recertification credit. To obtain the recertification information for this episode, visit https://goodmorninghr.com. 

About our Guest:

Nicole A. Morgan is a seasoned healthcare professional with over two decades of experience, seamlessly blending her clinical expertise as a Registered Occupational Therapist with her proficiency as a Licensed Independent Insurance Agent. As the founder of Morgan Medicare Solutions, LLC, based in Sherman, Texas, Nicole is dedicated to guiding individuals through the complexities of Medicare, ensuring they make informed decisions tailored to their unique needs.
 
 Her extensive background encompasses various healthcare settings, including inpatient and outpatient rehabilitation, acute care, skilled nursing, home health, and community-based services. This diverse experience has equipped her with a deep understanding of the challenges seniors face, particularly in navigating the transition to Medicare. Nicole holds multiple certifications, such as Certified Senior Advisor (CSA), Certified Long-Term Care (CLTC®), and Certified Living in Place Professional (CLIPP), underscoring her commitment to senior care and wellness.
 
 Beyond her professional endeavors, Nicole is deeply rooted in her community. A native of Sherman, she has been married to her husband, Brad, for nearly 30 years and is a proud mother of three young adults. Her passion for service extends to active involvement in her church and local initiatives, reflecting her dedication to making a positive impact both personally and professionally.
 
 At Morgan Medicare Solutions, Nicole offers personalized consultations, educational workshops, and ongoing support, ensuring clients feel confident and secure in their Medicare choices. Her holistic approach, grounded in compassion and expertise, has made her a trusted advisor for many navigating the intricacies of healthcare in their retirement years.

Nicole Morgan can be reached at

https://www.morganmedicaresolutions.com

https://www.linkedin.com/in/nicole-a-morganotr/

https://www.facebook.com/morganmedicare/

About Mike Coffey:

Mike Coffey is an entrepreneur, licensed private investigator, business strategist, HR consultant, and registered yoga teacher.

In 1999, he founded Imperative, a background investigations and due diligence firm helping risk-averse clients make well-informed decisions about the people they involve in their business.

Imperative delivers in-depth employment background investigations, know-your-customer and anti-money laundering compliance, and due diligence investigations to more than 300 risk-averse corporate clients across the US, and, through its PFC Caregiver & Household Screening brand, many more private estates, family offices, and personal service agencies.

Imperative has been named a Best Places to Work, the Texas Association of Business’ small business of the year, and is accredited by the Professional Background Screening Association. 

Mike shares his insight from 25+ years of HR-entrepreneurship on the Good Morning, HR podcast, where each week he talks to business leaders about bringing people together to create value for customers, shareholders, and community.

Mike has been recognized as an Entrepreneur of Excellence by FW, Inc. and has twice been recognized as the North Texas HR Professional of the Year. 

Mike serves as a board member of a number of organizations, including the Texas State Council, where he serves Texas’ 31 SHRM chapters as State Director-Elect; Workforce Solutions for Tarrant County; the Texas Association of Business; and the Fort Worth Chamber of Commerce, where he is chair of the Talent Committee.

Mike is a certified Senior Professional in Human Resources (SPHR) through the HR Certification Institute and a SHRM Senior Certified Professional (SHRM-SCP). He is also a Yoga Alliance registered yoga teacher (RYT-200) and teaches multiple times each week.

Mike and his very patient wife of 28 years are empty nesters in Fort Worth. 

Learning Objectives:

1.       Understand the basic structure of Medicare parts A, B, C, and D to provide foundational guidance when employees ask about Medicare options and transitions.

2.       Recognize when employer group health plans have creditable coverage for prescription drugs and ensure proper notification letters are sent to Medicare-eligible employees by October 15th annually.

3.       Establish relationships with trusted Medicare brokers and implement processes to proactively reach out to employees approaching age 65 to ensure proper planning and coordination of benefits.

They discuss the Supreme Court's unanimous decision in Ames v. Ohio Department of Youth Services eliminating different standards for "reverse discrimination" cases; how Title VII protects all individuals equally regardless of majority or minority status within protected classes; the challenges and failures of unlimited PTO policies leading employees to take less time off; new flexible PTO approaches allowing conversion to cash, student loan payments, or 401k contributions; mitigating bias in the employee selection process; why diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives should focus on business outcomes and widening candidate pools; the evolution of AI from individual productivity tools to organizational workforce transformation; the need for employees to actively learn and adopt AI tools to remain competitive; and how AI can handle transactional HR tasks while freeing professionals to focus on more strategic human-centered work.

Links to stuff they talked about are on our website at https://goodmorninghr.com/EP206 and include the following topics:

Breaking—Supreme Court Unanimously Lowers Bar for “Reverse Discrimination” Claims: Ames v. Ohio Department of Youth Services Redefines Title VII Litigation

More companies are letting workers cash in their vacation days. Should yours?

2025 Benefits and Compensation Trends Report

How enterprise AI is reshaping EX, according to expert Josh Bersin

AI superworkers ‘coming on like a freight train.’ Are you ready?

Amazon CEO Jassy says AI will reduce its corporate workforce in the next few years

Message from CEO Andy Jassy: Some thoughts on Generative AI

Good Morning, HR is brought to you by Imperative—Bulletproof Background Checks. For more information about our commitment to quality and excellent customer service, visit us at https://imperativeinfo.com. 

If you are an HRCI or SHRM-certified professional, this episode of Good Morning, HR has been pre-approved for half a recertification credit. To obtain the recertification information for this episode, visit https://goodmorninghr.com. 

About our Guest:

Jill Koob, SPHR, SHRM – SCP is the founder and owner of Energize HR, an HR Consulting Firm that focuses on training solutions, strategic HR and organizational development and human resource support. Prior to starting her company, Jill served as a VP for a Houston Based Professional Employer Organization, where they received numerous awards including Best Places to Work and Inc. 5000 Fastest Growing companies. Jill has over twenty-five years of strategic HR experience working directly with hundreds of businesses with their people strategy needs.

Jill Koob can be reached at:

https://energizehr.com/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/jillkoob/  

About Mike Coffey:

Mike Coffey is an entrepreneur, licensed private investigator, business strategist, HR consultant, and registered yoga teacher.

In 1999, he founded Imperative, a background investigations and due diligence firm helping risk-averse clients make well-informed decisions about the people they involve in their business.

Imperative delivers in-depth employment background investigations, know-your-customer and anti-money laundering compliance, and due diligence investigations to more than 300 risk-averse corporate clients across the US, and, through its PFC Caregiver & Household Screening brand, many more private estates, family offices, and personal service agencies.

Imperative has been named a Best Places to Work, the Texas Association of Business’ small business of the year, and is accredited by the Professional Background Screening Association. 

Mike shares his insight from 25+ years of HR-entrepreneurship on the Good Morning, HR podcast, where each week he talks to business leaders about bringing people together to create value for customers, shareholders, and community.

Mike has been recognized as an Entrepreneur of Excellence by FW, Inc. and has twice been recognized as the North Texas HR Professional of the Year. 

Mike serves as a board member of a number of organizations, including the Texas State Council, where he serves Texas’ 31 SHRM chapters as State Director-Elect; Workforce Solutions for Tarrant County; the Texas Association of Business; and the Fort Worth Chamber of Commerce, where he is chair of the Talent Committee.

Mike is a certified Senior Professional in Human Resources (SPHR) through the HR Certification Institute and a SHRM Senior Certified Professional (SHRM-SCP). He is also a Yoga Alliance registered yoga teacher (RYT-200) and teaches multiple times each week.

Mike and his very patient wife of 28 years are empty nesters in Fort Worth. 

Learning Objectives:

1.       Understand that Title VII protects all individuals equally within protected classes, requiring the same burden of proof regardless of whether someone belongs to a majority or minority group within that class.

2.       Design flexible PTO policies with clear guidelines and minimum requirements while offering options for employees to convert unused time to other benefits like cash, student loans, or retirement contributions.

3.       Embrace AI as a collaborative tool for analyzing data, reducing bias in hiring processes, and handling transactiona...

They discuss the primary drivers for seeking international talent including cost savings and talent shortages; compliance hurdles around employee classification and local employment laws; the role of employers of record versus PEOs in managing international hires; compensation and benefits strategies that account for local customs and legal requirements; integration challenges including time zone coordination and cultural sensitivity; recruitment approaches when working across international borders; data security concerns with remote international workers; managing terminations and severance requirements in different countries; and the importance of understanding local labor laws and cultural differences when building global teams.

Good Morning, HR is brought to you by Imperative—Bulletproof Background Checks. For more information about our commitment to quality and excellent customer service, visit us at https://imperativeinfo.com. 

If you are an HRCI or SHRM-certified professional, this episode of Good Morning, HR has been pre-approved for half a recertification credit. To obtain the recertification information for this episode, visit https://goodmorninghr.com. 

About our Guest:

Susan Snipes is a certified HR professional with 15 years of HR experience. She serves as the Head of People at Remote People, a company that recruits top talent in over 150 countries around the world.

Susan Snipes can be reached at 

https://remotepeople.com/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/susan-poore-hrm/

About Mike Coffey:

Mike Coffey is an entrepreneur, licensed private investigator, business strategist, HR consultant, and registered yoga teacher.

In 1999, he founded Imperative, a background investigations and due diligence firm helping risk-averse clients make well-informed decisions about the people they involve in their business.

Imperative delivers in-depth employment background investigations, know-your-customer and anti-money laundering compliance, and due diligence investigations to more than 300 risk-averse corporate clients across the US, and, through its PFC Caregiver & Household Screening brand, many more private estates, family offices, and personal service agencies.

Imperative has been named a Best Places to Work, the Texas Association of Business’ small business of the year, and is accredited by the Professional Background Screening Association.

Mike shares his insight from 25+ years of HR-entrepreneurship on the Good Morning, HR podcast, where each week he talks to business leaders about bringing people together to create value for customers, shareholders, and community.

Mike has been recognized as an Entrepreneur of Excellence by FW, Inc. and has twice been recognized as the North Texas HR Professional of the Year. 

Mike serves as a board member of a number of organizations, including the Texas State Council, where he serves Texas’ 31 SHRM chapters as State Director-Elect; Workforce Solutions for Tarrant County; the Texas Association of Business; and the Fort Worth Chamber of Commerce, where he is chair of the Talent Committee.

Mike is a certified Senior Professional in Human Resources (SPHR) through the HR Certification Institute and a SHRM Senior Certified Professional (SHRM-SCP). He is also a Yoga Alliance registered yoga teacher (RYT-200) and teaches multiple times each week.

Mike and his very patient wife of 28 years are empty nesters in Fort Worth. 

Learning Objectives: 

1.       Evaluate the compliance requirements and classification issues when hiring international talent, including understanding the differences between employees, independent contractors, and employer of record arrangements.

2.       Develop integration strategies for international team members that account for time zone differences, cultural holidays, communication styles, and local customs to maintain team cohesion.

3.       Assess the cost-benefit analysis of different international hiring models, from direct employment and local entity creation to employer of record services, based on hiring volume and risk tolerance.

They discuss the distinction between mentorship (which helps grow the mentee) and sponsorship (which seeks to change how others see the protege); how sponsorship functions like marketing or PR campaigns for high-potential employees; the four types of sponsorship - creating, confirming, preventing, and protecting; why sponsors risk their own credibility and reputation when advocating for others; how sponsorship doesn't require formal hierarchical relationships but depends on trust and status; how to become more "sponsorable" by being a top performer with clear values and compelling personal story; the risks of having the wrong sponsor or appearing as the "teacher's pet"; and how sponsorship creates inclusion by ensuring high performers are seen, valued, and given opportunities regardless of their background or circumstances.

Good Morning, HR is brought to you by Imperative—Bulletproof Background Checks. For more information about our commitment to quality and excellent customer service, visit us at https://imperativeinfo.com. 

If you are an HRCI or SHRM-certified professional, this episode of Good Morning, HR has been pre-approved for half a recertification credit. To obtain the recertification information for this episode, visit https://goodmorninghr.com. 

About our Guest:

Rosalind Chow is an Associate Professor of Organizational Behavior and Theory at Carnegie Mellon University, where she studies the power of social hierarchy and its impact on diversity and inclusion efforts within organizations. 

Her forthcoming book, The Doors You Can Open (PublicAffairs, April 8, 2025) distinguishes the concept of sponsorship from mentorship. While mentorship can change mentees for the better through valuable coaching and encouragement, sponsorship takes it one step further — sponsors can change the social environment around their proteges by actively advocating for, raising the social visibility of, and protecting them. Put simply, while mentors act on mentees, sponsors act on external observers – audiences - to change how they see proteges. 

We don’t just have the ability to change other people; we also have the ability to change other people’s relationships with one another. This ability - the power we have as sponsors - is something we can leverage to better ourselves, other people, and our communities.

Rosalind Chow can be reached at

http://www.rosalindchow.com/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/rosalind-chow-6b25541b0/

About Mike Coffey:

Mike Coffey is an entrepreneur, licensed private investigator, business strategist, HR consultant, and registered yoga teacher.

In 1999, he founded Imperative, a background investigations and due diligence firm helping risk-averse clients make well-informed decisions about the people they involve in their business.

Imperative delivers in-depth employment background investigations, know-your-customer and anti-money laundering compliance, and due diligence investigations to more than 300 risk-averse corporate clients across the US, and, through its PFC Caregiver & Household Screening brand, many more private estates, family offices, and personal service agencies.

Imperative has been named a Best Places to Work, the Texas Association of Business’ small business of the year, and is accredited by the Professional Background Screening Association. 

Mike shares his insight from 25+ years of HR-entrepreneurship on the Good Morning, HR podcast, where each week he talks to business leaders about bringing people together to create value for customers, shareholders, and community.

Mike has been recognized as an Entrepreneur of Excellence by FW, Inc. and has twice been recognized as the North Texas HR Professional of the Year. 

Mike serves as a board member of a number of organizations, including the Texas State Council, where he serves Texas’ 31 SHRM chapters as State Director-Elect; Workforce Solutions for Tarrant County; the Texas Association of Business; and the Fort Worth Chamber of Commerce, where he is chair of the Talent Committee.

Mike is a certified Senior Professional in Human Resources (SPHR) through the HR Certification Institute and a SHRM Senior Certified Professional (SHRM-SCP). He is also a Yoga Alliance registered yoga teacher (RYT-200) and teaches multiple times each week.

Mike and his very patient wife of 28 years are empty nesters in Fort Worth. 

Learning Objectives:

1.       Distinguish between mentorship (developing the individual) and sponsorship (changing others' perceptions of the individual) to provide appropriate support for high-potential employees.

2.       Practice the four types of sponsorship - creating visibility, confirming positive impressions, preventing negative associations, and protecting during criticism - to advance deserving talent.

3.       Recognize that effective sponsorship requires risking your own credibility and reputation, making it essential to sponsor only high performers whose values align with your own and the organization's goals.

They discuss how people often stumble into HR careers; the misconception that “loving people” qualifies someone for HR work; the importance of gaining foundational knowledge before jumping into employee relations; showing up authentically while maintaining professional boundaries; building a personal board of directors rather than relying on a single mentor; the balance between employer-provided training and self-advocacy for professional development; the value of HR certifications as confidence boosters; networking through local HR associations and professional organizations; managing up with leaders who don't understand HR's strategic value; and whether HR professionals can be friends with other employees.

Good Morning, HR is brought to you by Imperative—Bulletproof Background Checks. For more information about our commitment to quality and excellent customer service, visit us at https://imperativeinfo.com. 

If you are an HRCI or SHRM-certified professional, this episode of Good Morning, HR has been pre-approved for half a recertification credit. To obtain the recertification information for this episode, visit https://goodmorninghr.com. 

About our Guest:

Kristi Spaethe is the Chief Executive Officer of The People Perspective and People Perspective Search and Recruiting designed to be the one stop shop for all things people in the communities that these organizations serve. 

 Kristi earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Psychology with a Human Resources Development option and also holds the SHRM-CP certification.

 Kristi is the Immediate Past State Director for SHRM Oklahoma where she has served in prior various roles beginning in 2018. 

Kristi has also served in various roles, including President, with the Tulsa Area Human Resources Association since 2014. Additionally, Kristi currently serves on the Broken Arrow Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors and has served on the Bixby Metro Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors. Kristi also gives back to the community by giving her time to non-profit organizations such as Women in Recovery, Muddy Paws and Lindsey House.

 Kristi received the President’s Award from the Tulsa Area Human Resources Association in 2016 and the Richard R. Messer Excellence in Human Resources award in 2019. She also received the Oklahoma Human Resources Award of Excellence in 2020 from the Oklahoma Human Resources State Council. The People Perspective has also been nominated for various awards through TYPROS Boomtown Awards, the Bixby Metro Chamber of Commerce, Tulsa Chamber of Commerce Small Business Awards and the Broken Arrow Chamber of Commerce. The People Perspective was selected as the Small Business of the year in 2021 through the Bixby Metro Chamber of Commerce and as the Small Business of the Year in 2023 through the Broken Arrow Chamber of Commerce. 
 Kristi and her family reside in Broken Arrow, OK.

Kristi Spaethe can be reached at

https://pplperspective.com/

About Mike Coffey:

Mike Coffey is an entrepreneur, licensed private investigator, business strategist, HR consultant, and registered yoga teacher.

In 1999, he founded Imperative, a background investigations and due diligence firm helping risk-averse clients make well-informed decisions about the people they involve in their business.

Imperative delivers in-depth employment background investigations, know-your-customer and anti-money laundering compliance, and due diligence investigations to more than 300 risk-averse corporate clients across the US, and, through its PFC Caregiver & Household Screening brand, many more private estates, family offices, and personal service agencies.

Imperative has been named a Best Places to Work, the Texas Association of Business’ small business of the year, and is accredited by the Professional Background Screening Association. 

Mike shares his insight from 25+ years of HR-entrepreneurship on the Good Morning, HR podcast, where each week he talks to business leaders about bringing people together to create value for customers, shareholders, and community.

Mike has been recognized as an Entrepreneur of Excellence by FW, Inc. and has twice been recognized as the North Texas HR Professional of the Year. 

Mike serves as a board member of a number of organizations, including the Texas State Council, where he serves Texas’ 31 SHRM chapters as State Director-Elect; Workforce Solutions for Tarrant County; the Texas Association of Business; and the Fort Worth Chamber of Commerce, where he is chair of the Talent Committee.

Mike is a certified Senior Professional in Human Resources (SPHR) through the HR Certification Institute and a SHRM Senior Certified Professional (SHRM-SCP). He is also a Yoga Alliance registered yoga teacher (RYT-200) and teaches multiple times each week.

Mike and his very patient wife of 28 years are empty nesters in Fort Worth. 

Learning Objectives:

1.       Develop a personal board of directors that includes mentors, advocates, cheerleaders, and critics rather than relying on a single mentor relationship.

2.       Advocate for your own professional development by requesting training opportunities, certifications, and cross-functional experience while building external networks through HR associations.

3.       Maintain professional boundaries by showing up authentically while filtering your communication and avoiding personal friendships with employees to protect both yourself and the organization.