EP 48 May the Fourth, Socks, and Why Performance Reviews Are Stuck in 1955 with Albert Foster

EP 55 Disrupting Benefit Management with Rhonda Nerenberg and Jacob Davis

The guys sit down with Rhonda and Jacob from Weltrio and talk maximizing effective use of benefits.  Rhonda and Jacob give the history of Weltrio and how they are helping companies manage their plans.  What would happen if you didn't have a group open enrollment meeting this year and instead sat down and had a personal conversation with every employee?  Why are HR people so afraid of change or rocking the boat?  The discussion also turns to the recent DisruptHR event in Salt Lake City and reviews that said only vendors and consultants were in attendance.  Learn more about the team at Weltrio at: https://www.weltrio.com/ [https://www.weltrio.com/] Find the Behind the Premium podcast at: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC3UMiw6juj5ZWZcuA9gm7eQ [https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC3UMiw6juj5ZWZcuA9gm7eQ] Learn more about Fantastic Tony Benjamin at: https://www.thegrangellc.com/ [https://www.thegrangellc.com/] Learn more about Steven "Big Deal" Smith at: https://thehiringtreebook.com/ [https://thehiringtreebook.com/] Learn more about the Books mentioned on the podcast at: https://thehiringtreebook.com/hr-life-podcast [https://thehiringtreebook.com/hr-life-podcast] Learn more about Dyno Outfitters at: https://www.utahviaferrata.com/ [https://www.utahviaferrata.com/] Learn more about MegastarHR at: https://www.megastarhr.com/ [https://www.megastarhr.com/] Learn more about Pucks for Autism at: https://www.pucksforautism.com/ [https://www.pucksforautism.com/] Tony's "Robot Voice" courtesy of The Internet.

EP 54 HR's Opportunity to Drive the AI Bus with Ryan Kohler and Fragments of Tony's Skull

Ryan Kohler, founder of Applicant Pro, joins the guys and blows Tony's mind in the first minute of the podcast.  As Tony picks up pieces of his skull, Ryan unfolds the nature of AI, what it is really capable of, and the opportunity HR has to drive the AI bus in American business.  In this episode you'll learn the real impact AI will have on your company, what job searches will look like in the future, the future of purchasing software, and what the dramatic reduction in intelligence costs means for your future.  The Hosts of this podcast are not responsible for any minds of listeners that short-circuit or get blown after listening to its content.  Listeners are encouraged to consume in moderation.  Learn more about Ryan Kohler at: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ai4teams/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/ai4teams/] Get Ryan Kohler's book at: https://www.amazon.com/Bus-Has-Driver-Authority-Organization/dp/1968164340/ref=sr_1_1?crid=10DQ2SZWEJW0Y&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.HBMjj0_WMtAuITo6NoZubnbSY4PBM_MMAF4FIEieekc.LmaNxcI9u35RwsVMYvL9idcFPkA_bIweMG-ih76EMHI&dib_tag=se&keywords=ryan+kohler+bus&qid=1782224946&sprefix=ryan+kohler+bus%2Caps%2C213&sr=8-1 [https://www.amazon.com/Bus-Has-Driver-Authority-Organization/dp/1968164340/ref=sr_1_1?crid=10DQ2SZWEJW0Y&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.HBMjj0_WMtAuITo6NoZubnbSY4PBM_MMAF4FIEieekc.LmaNxcI9u35RwsVMYvL9idcFPkA_bIweMG-ih76EMHI&dib_tag=se&keywords=ryan+kohler+bus&qid=1782224946&sprefix=ryan+kohler+bus%2Caps%2C213&sr=8-1] Learn more about Fantastic Tony Benjamin at: https://www.thegrangellc.com/ [https://www.thegrangellc.com/] Learn more about Steven "Big Deal" Smith at: https://thehiringtreebook.com/ [https://thehiringtreebook.com/] Learn more about the Books mentioned on the podcast at: https://thehiringtreebook.com/hr-life-podcast [https://thehiringtreebook.com/hr-life-podcast] Learn more about Dyno Outfitters at: https://www.utahviaferrata.com/ [https://www.utahviaferrata.com/] Learn more about MegastarHR at: https://www.megastarhr.com/ [https://www.megastarhr.com/] Learn more about Pucks for Autism at: https://www.pucksforautism.com/ [https://www.pucksforautism.com/]

EP 53 Joe Tate Music, Japan, and the Power of Presentations

Joe Tate got into HR because his handwriting was better than the other guy's. He left one of his biggest roles because he refused to let his HRIS manager take the fall for a company-wide data breach. And somewhere in between, he built Boost HR, mentored hundreds of professionals through his six-week HR essentials course, and took a ski trip to Japan that ended up reshaping the way he thinks about people, culture, and the kind of workplace we all say we want but rarely build. Tony, Steve, and Joe cover a lot of territory in this one: why getting HR a seat at the table with the CFO is still a fight worth having, what promotion from within actually looks like when you celebrate it the way it deserves to be celebrated, and why live training is making a comeback that should have you rethinking your next all-hands. What can a heated bidet seat at 2 a.m. teach you about the employee experience? Listen and find out!    Learn more about Joe Tate at: https://boostrecruits.com/ [https://boostrecruits.com/] and https://www.linkedin.com/in/joe-tate-a92b02/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/joe-tate-a92b02/] Learn more about Fantastic Tony Benjamin at: https://www.thegrangellc.com/ [https://www.thegrangellc.com/] Learn more about Steven "Big Deal" Smith at: https://thehiringtreebook.com/ [https://thehiringtreebook.com/] Learn more about the Books mentioned on the podcast at: https://thehiringtreebook.com/hr-life-podcast [https://thehiringtreebook.com/hr-life-podcast] Learn more about Dyno Outfitters at: https://www.utahviaferrata.com/ [https://www.utahviaferrata.com/] Learn more about MegastarHR at: https://www.megastarhr.com/ [https://www.megastarhr.com/] Learn more about Pucks for Autism at: https://www.pucksforautism.com/ [https://www.pucksforautism.com/] Voice audio distortion courtesy of The Internet.   Joe Tate is a regionally renowned speaker, trainer, and source for HR compliance information.  After serving more than 1,000 clients with his company, Boost HR, he knows what he's talking about.

EP 52 Turns Out Smiling Is Free: Aric Bostick on Attachment Theory and Why Your Face Is an HR Problem

Tony and Steve welcome Aric Bostick, keynote speaker, former classroom teacher, professional crowd-energizer, and the man Steve publicly credits for telling him to get on a stage when he was just some guy with a book idea and a lot of enthusiasm. Aric brings the science of attachment theory out of the therapy room and drops it straight into your org chart.  You'll learn why people leave companies that pay more to work somewhere they feel seen. Why your resting face is already sending a message to your team (it's probably not the one you want). Why "soft skills" is the wrong name for the hardest thing most managers will never learn. For the record, Tony has never made a mistake. Learn more about Fantastic Tony Benjamin at: https://www.thegrangellc.com/ [https://www.thegrangellc.com/] Learn more about Steven "Big Deal" Smith at: https://thehiringtreebook.com/ [https://thehiringtreebook.com/] Learn more about the Books mentioned on the podcast at: https://thehiringtreebook.com/hr-life-podcast [https://thehiringtreebook.com/hr-life-podcast] Learn more about Dyno Outfitters at: https://www.utahviaferrata.com/ [https://www.utahviaferrata.com/] Learn more about MegastarHR at: https://www.megastarhr.com/ [https://www.megastarhr.com/] Learn more about Pucks for Autism at: https://www.pucksforautism.com/ [https://www.pucksforautism.com/]

EP 51 Fueling HR with the NY Times at Central Utah SHRM

Steve and Tony attended the Fuel HR conference on May 14, 2026.  They talked the EEOC's case against the NY Times, diversity, and interviewed several attendees. The most pertinent piece of advice they got from the conference is "If you're going to discriminate, don't advertise and document it."   Note: There were two interviews that were lost due to computer and sound issues.   We apologize to those two people and will get them back on the show soon.   On a more positive note, Steve and Tony introduced a lot of people to LimeRickys.