Leading Through Growth

007 HR Found Me ft Angie Woods

If you've ever scrolled past a TikTok telling you to never trust HR, this episode is for you. Angie Woods has spent 30 years in human resources — and she's on a mission to change how leaders think about the people function. As a Chief People Officer at a rapidly scaling company, Angie isn't just filling seats. She's building systems, developing leaders, and creating the kind of culture that can actually survive explosive growth. In this conversation, Tony and Angie dig into what it really takes to grow a company without breaking your people. They talk about the rubber band theory of organizational stretch, why hiring fast is one of the most expensive mistakes a growing company can make, the Wednesday morning leadership development sessions that are changing how her leaders show up, and what vulnerability on stage taught her about showing up more authentically at work. Angie also clears up some of the biggest misconceptions about HR — and makes a compelling case for why a strong people function isn't a cost center. It's a growth strategy. If you lead people, build teams, or are navigating the chaos of a fast-growing organization, this one is worth your full attention. What you'll learn: * Why growth-stage companies need to hire for adaptability, not just skill * How competency frameworks connect hiring, onboarding, and performance * What HR leaders wish business leaders understood about partnership * How to give people hope through change without pretending you have all the answers

006 - Culture Fuels Growth with Scott Whitaker

In this episode of Leading Through Growth, Tony Sanders sits down with Scott Whitaker, Director of Human Resources at Ryan Fire Protection, to explore what it really takes to scale a company without losing its culture. Over the past four years, Ryan has experienced rapid growth—expanding from just under 300 employees to nearly 700. Scott shares what that growth looks like from the inside, and how intentional leadership, shared ownership, and people-first thinking have helped them preserve and strengthen their culture along the way. They dive into: * Why culture can’t live in HR alone * How leadership must scale across the organization * The challenge of integrating cultures through acquisition * Why growth breaks companies that aren’t intentional * And what leaders can do to build a culture that actually scales If you’re leading a growing team or organization, this conversation offers a grounded, real-world look at how culture fuels sustainable growth.

005 - Empathy Isn't What You've Been Taught with Liesel Mertes

Most leaders don’t avoid empathy because they don’t care.They avoid it because they were never taught how to handle it.In this episode of Leading Through Growth, Tony sits down with Workplace Empathy Expert Liesel Mertes to unpack what empathy actually looks like in leadership—and why so many well-intentioned leaders miss the mark.In this episode, we explore:- Why empathy in leadership is about emotion, not shared experience- The common patterns executive leaders fall into (like “fixing” instead of seeing)- How your own empathy patterns show up under pressure- What to say—and what not to say—when people are struggling at work or in your personal life- Simple, practical ways to build empathy as a leadership skillThis isn’t about empathy as a soft skill. It’s about becoming more effective in how you lead people.

004 - Create Your Own Footprint

In this episode, Tony sits down with Michelle Baker, Chief People Officer at Forum Credit Union and co-host of the Career Dreams podcast, to explore what it really means to grow into leadership. Michelle shares the mindset shifts that shape how leaders experience the same challenges differently—why some feel energized while others feel overwhelmed—and how that perspective influences everything from decision-making to team dynamics. They also unpack the tension between speed and effectiveness, the importance of adapting your leadership to others, and why modeling behavior is one of the most overlooked responsibilities leaders carry. At the center of the conversation is a simple but powerful idea: You don’t have to fill someone else’s shoes—you have to create your own footprint. This episode is for leaders navigating growth, identity, and the responsibility that comes with both.

003 - How Leadership Must Evolve as You Scale

What got you here won’t get you there. In this conversation, Kevin Gearheart, President of Rehab Medical, reflects on what leadership must become as an organization grows—especially when the instincts that once drove success begin to create friction. Early in a company’s life, control drives performance. But as complexity increases, that same control can turn leaders into bottlenecks. What replaces it is not less leadership—but a different kind: clarity, structure, and trust. Kevin shares how his role has evolved over two decades of leadership and a decade in the president seat—leading through sustained, rapid growth while maintaining culture, talent quality, and operational discipline. This episode explores: * The shift from control to clarity—and why it matters * How leaders unintentionally become bottlenecks * Why culture at scale requires structure, not just intention * The role of purpose in sustaining performance under pressure * Balancing transparency with confidentiality as a senior leader * Why trust accelerates execution * The hidden cost of ego in growing organizations * How a single comment from a leader can carry unintended weight