The Talent Show

Raising the Bar: PR and Powerlifting with the Devon Group's Katie Achille

No matter what line of work you’re in, there’s always someone in the office or out in the field who does the heavy lifting. Our guest today, Katie Achille, most certainly does a lot of heavy lifting in the office, as she is managing partner at The Devon Group --- a public relations company. But outside the office, the heavy lifting continues. Katie is a competitive powerlifter for Team USA…yes, that Team USA. She describes what she does as lifting heavy things and putting them down. We’re going to learn all about this as Katie Achille joins us on the Talent Show.

From HR Tech to Homebrew: Net at Work's Harold Ford Discusses His "Craft"

Harold Ford III - yes, the Third - is the Practice Director for the Employer Solutions Practice at Net at Work, a business technology consultancy - indeed, one of the biggest and most respected in North America. For over twenty-five years, Harold has helped HR and Payroll teams unleash the power of their business, harnessing today’s technology. After a long, hard day of work, you’d expect Harold to go home and maybe kick back with a pint…or three. I know that I would, assuming the fridge is full, which is never an issue with Harold because he has turned his home into a craft brewery. Well, not exactly, but he does brew his own beer…how, why and what kind of beer, and whether you and I will ever have a chance to sample it, are the pressing questions Harold answers in this fun and illuminating conversation with TS host, Tom Alexander. Among the topics discussed: * How much do you have to love beer to get into home brewing? * Why and how Harold started brewing craft beer. * How the process works. * The signature ingredients or brewing techniques that define a “Harold Ford” beer. * The connections between craft brewing hobby and his work with Net at Work. * "If you could sit down for a beer with any figure dead or alive, who would it be and what would you pour?" A conversation that goes down as smoothly as whatever Harold has on tap.

From Seinfeld to Wing Chun: Actor Phil Morris

Known far and wide as Jackie Chiles, the Johnny Cochrane-inspired attorney from Seinfeld, versatile actor Phil Morris has logged an impressive array of credits over a long and successful career (he's also put his velvety tones to good use as a prolific voice actor). But what people don't know is that Phil has practiced Wing Chun since he was a wee lad of 8, as he followed his actor dad Greg Morris around Hollywood sound stages (Greg Morris is best known for his role in the original TV series, Mission Impossible). Wing Chun is a Chinese martial art that focuses on close-range combat. Phil brings us up close and personal into his world - one that combines the physical and mental discipline of Wing Chun and the demands of his preparation/work as an actor. We can't promise that it will be "lewd, lascivious, salacious, outrageous," but it will be, by definition (trust us - better yet, trust Larry David), excellent.

Taking Flight with with Atlas Co-Pilot’s Matt Burns

It’s not the biggest surprise that the CEO of a company called Atlas Co-Pilot is obsessed with airplanes. Not interested in, or simply knowledgeable about - which he of course is - but obsessed. Matt Burns has been an HR executive leading major change initiatives, a strategy consultant and industry analyst, a serial entrepreneur, as well as a podcast host and producer - he currently hosts and produces the Thinking Inside the Box podcast. He is also a co-founder of Atlas Copilot, whose mission is to transform the way HR professionals, teams and other people leaders do their work leveraging the latest in generative AI technology.   Matt joins the Talent Show to discuss .  * The origin of his obsession with planes * The aspects of planes or aviation that captivate him the most * His favorite planes and why * His coolest plane related experiences * How his interest in planes parallels how he views and approaches his work  * We ask that your seats and table trays are in the upright position for take-off. Enjoy the flight.

A Recruiter's Secret Ingredient: Cookies

By day, Kristin Pozen is Practice Leader and Senior Recruiter for the Duffy Group, a global recruitment firm that works with corporations to help them find the right talent. After work, Kristin bakes and sells a delicious assortment of cookies under the business name Peekaboo Cookies. Kristin talks about her passion for baking, when she first discovered this passion/talent, and where she finds inspiration for inventing new and ever more delicious cookies. We then discuss how her baking parallels her work with the Duffy Group. If you’re on a low-sugar diet or you’re diabetic, now’s the time to find another more suitable podcast. For those of you whose knees grow weak at the first whiff of moist home-baked cookies, grab yourself a tall glass of milk, you will need it.