Getting Personal Episode 41 | The Messy Middle of Work with Angela Howard

Getting Personal Episode 42 | 98 Workflows and One Very Human Lesson with KK Mayo

What happens when HR stops talking about innovation in theory and starts building the systems that make it work? In this episode of Getting Personal with Compt, Lauren sits down with KK Mayo, Senior Director of People Ops at Ava Labs, to talk about scaling a people function from 45 employees to 250, building better onboarding systems, and creating the “rails” that help fast-growing teams move without breaking. KK shares how her team thinks about automation, AI enablement, leadership buy-in, and the behind-the-scenes workflows that make People Ops more strategic and less reactive. In this episode, we discuss: *  How KK helped scale Ava Labs’ People Ops function  *  Why efficiency creates more room for strategic thinking  *  The story behind Ava Labs’ 98 automated onboarding workflows  *  How a 90-day quality-of-hire workflow gives recruiting and managers better feedback  *  Why AI adoption should be shared across People Ops, security, and managers  *  What companies risk when AI policies exist “somewhere,” but employees don’t know what to do  *  The burnout lesson KK learned the hard way while scaling HR  This conversation is about AI, automation, and systems, but more than that, it’s about building work in a way that doesn’t rely on one person holding everything together.

Getting Personal Episode 41 | The Messy Middle of Work with Angela Howard

Work isn’t separate from the rest of life anymore. In this episode of Getting Personal with Compt, Lauren sits down with Angela Howard, culture strategist and founder of Call for Culture, to talk about what it means to lead right now — in a moment where everything feels like it’s happening all at once. From burnout and political tension to AI and shifting expectations of work, Angela describes this moment as the “messy middle of tension.” And instead of trying to escape it, she challenges leaders to move through it with intention, care, and courage. They talk about what happens when the realities of the world show up at work, why traditional approaches to culture change are falling short, and what it looks like to build something more human from here. In this episode, we discuss: *  Why “if it’s happening in the world, it’s happening at work” is changing leadership  *  The idea of the “messy middle” and what it means for organizations  *  A powerful moment from Culture Impact Lab: a eulogy for DEI  *  The difference between leadership and management (and why it matters right now)  *  Why small, everyday actions are the real drivers of culture  *  How focusing on local impact and community can be a more sustainable path forward  This is a conversation about letting go of perfect answers — and choosing how to show up anyway. The Culture Impact Lab is May 13-14 in Chicago. Visit callforculture.com [http://www.callforculture.com] to learn more. Want to be a guest on the show? Email lauren@compt.io.

Getting Personal Episode 40 | Don't Try to Outspend Big Tech Benefits with Jeff Hyman

Hiring has changed. Not just the process, but what candidates are actually evaluating when they consider a job. In this episode of Getting Personal with Compt, Lauren sits down with Jeff Hyman, CEO of Recruit Rockstars [https://www.recruitrockstars.com/] and a recruiter with more than 30 years of experience placing top talent. Jeff shares what he’s seeing from both sides of the hiring table: how candidates are evaluating companies today, why flexibility and benefits matter more than ever, and why most companies make the mistake of trying to compete with big tech on perks and compensation. Instead, Jeff argues that companies should focus on something very different. In this episode, we discuss: - Why top candidates are “interviewing the company” just as much as the company interviews them - What candidates are actually looking for beyond salary - Why 1 in 10 lifestyle benefit dollars going to groceries isn’t surprising - The mistake companies make when they try to copy big tech perks - How AI may reshape recruiting, jobs, and compensation over the next decade Jeff also shares practical advice for companies that want to attract great talent without blowing their budget. Want to be a guest on the podcast? Email our host at lauren@compt.io.

Getting Personal Episode 39 | What 1 in 10 Benefit Dollars Says About 2026 with Mary Migiano

In this episode of Getting Personal with Compt, Lauren sits down with Mary Migiano, Compt’s Head of Customer Experience, to unpack what the 2026 Lifestyle Benefits Benchmark Report looks like in real life. From the stat that 1 in 10 stipend dollars now goes to grocery retailers to the rise of flexible, all-inclusive lifestyle spending accounts, this conversation goes beyond the numbers. They discuss: * Why 2025 was defined by “doing more with less” * What high participation really means (even when utilization varies) * Why quarterly funding beats monthly * How professional development budgets are shifting in the age of AI * And what employees are actually using benefits for right now * Plus: groceries, Costco, and why benefits today function less like perks — and more like pressure valves. Download the full 2026 Lifestyle Benefits Benchmark Report here [https://compt.io/resources/2026-lifestyle-benefits-benchmark-report/?utm_source=transistor&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=28918086-abr_2026&utm_content=podcast_episode].

Getting Personal Episode 38 | A Human-Centered Approach to AI at Work with Theresa Fesinstine

AI didn’t arrive in a vacuum. It showed up after years of crisis, burnout, and constant change at work. In this episode of Getting Personal with Compt, Lauren Schneider sits down with Theresa Fesinstine, founder of peoplepower.ai [https://www.peoplepower.ai/] and former CHRO, to talk about what AI adoption actually looks like inside organizations—and why the hardest part isn’t the technology. Theresa shares her own journey from learning and development to HR leadership to building an AI education company, and reflects on how exhaustion, fear-based narratives, and unclear ownership have shaped how teams experience AI today. This conversation isn’t about becoming an AI expert (which definitely doesn't happen overnight). It’s about curiosity over panic, asking better questions, and designing human-centered change in a moment when everything feels loud. If AI feels overwhelming — or you’re not sure where to even start — this episode offers a calmer, more grounded way in.