From Wrenches to Workforce: A Veteran’s Shift into Ops-Minded HR and AI

From School Culture to Family Preservation: How Christine Simpson Is Building People-First Change

In this episode of Navigating AI with Rich Wilson, Rich sits down with Christine Simpson, Vice President of People and Culture at STARRY, a Central Texas nonprofit helping children and families access support before they ever reach the foster care system. Christine shares her journey from nearly three decades in education, where she served as a teacher, principal, and area superintendent, into nonprofit leadership focused on culture, coaching, and family preservation. She talks about what it takes to build a people-first organization in a mission-driven environment, how STARRY has expanded its reach across Central Texas, and why real change starts upstream by strengthening families before crisis hits. The conversation also explores how Christine is thinking about AI in a practical, human-centered way. Rather than treating it as hype, she explains how AI can help lean teams cover more ground, support leadership development, preserve knowledge, and improve efficiency without losing the human touch that matters most. This is a conversation about leadership, culture, innovation, and the kind of systems change that can transform lives.

What Large Language Models Actually Are

Large language models are everywhere now, but most leaders are still unclear on what they actually are, what they can do well, and where the risks begin. In this episode of Navigating AI, Rich Wilson is joined by Vrat Jerabek of PsychTests, along with returning guest Dr. Ilona Jerabek, for a practical conversation about what large language models really are. Vrat has been building and studying AI systems for more than 30 years, and his message is clear: these tools are powerful, useful, and impressive, but they are not thinking the way people think. The conversation breaks down why fluent language is often mistaken for real understanding, how LLMs recognize patterns and generate responses, and why leaders should be careful before trusting AI with business decisions. Rich, Vrat, and Ilona also explore black-box risk, hallucinations, bias, drift, explainability, and the practical guardrails organizations need before using AI at scale. This episode is for CEOs, CFOs, HR leaders, and anyone trying to use AI responsibly without getting caught up in hype or fear.

The HR Tune-Up Playbook

Dr. Tiffany Slater shares insights on rejecting traditional HR, implementing quarterly sprints, leveraging AI in HR, and optimizing benefits for small employers. She also discusses the value of fractional HR and compassionate candor, as well as the importance of HR model value and outcomes. Takeaways * Rejecting traditional HR * Quarterly sprints for HR * AI in HR Chapters * 00:00 Structure and Compliance Checkpoints * 14:04 AI in HR and Real Gains * 19:29 HR Model Value and Outcomes * 26:37 Benefits Change for Small Employers

Magnetic Leadership

In this episode, Dr. Ilona Jarebek discusses the concept of magnetic leadership and the impact of unconscious patterns on leadership effectiveness. She explores the cost of unconscious patterns, the role of empathy in leadership, the 360-degree leadership MRI, the use of AI in leadership development, readiness and transformation in leadership, and marketing and visibility strategies for leadership development services. Takeaways * Magnetic leadership is about the energy and presence a leader brings into a room * Unconscious patterns and behaviors can significantly impact leadership effectiveness Chapters * 00:00 Introduction to Magnetic Leadership * 09:08 Leadership Challenges and Unconscious Patterns * 15:16 The 360 Degree Leadership MRI * 26:23 Readiness and Transformation in Leadership * 32:31 Marketing and Visibility

From Hype to Helpful

Meredith Campbell-Jess, a senior HR associate, shares insights on using AI in HR, addressing AI fatigue, and building trust with clients. She emphasizes the importance of context in AI interactions and encourages HR professionals to embrace AI with a playful and experimental mindset. Takeaways * AI in HR requires context and prompts for better results. * HR professionals should embrace AI with a playful and experimental mindset. * Building trust with clients involves transparency about AI use and its impact on efficiency and value. * AI can be used as an assistant, not a replacement, in HR tasks, allowing for more time for meaningful conversations and relationship-building. Chapters * 00:00 Introducing Meredith Campbell-Jess * 07:22 AI Questions and Concerns in HR * 15:42 Transparency and Trust in AI Use * 20:48 Practical Tips for Using AI in HR * 25:51 Marketing and Client Referrals * 42:26 Connecting with Tall Sky Consulting Group