Jessica Espaillat's journey weaves together the worlds of mental health counseling and HR leadership, revealing how empathy and intentionality can shape a thriving workplace. She sits down with Heath Alloway on Episode 5 of Common Threads, starting with her unexpected career pivot, where she found herself at the heart of a growing firm, championing a culture where people feel valued and supported. Her insights, drawn from both personal and professional experience, illuminate her goals of fostering open communication and building unity across Sorren's diverse teams. Jessica and Heath also candidly look back on moments from the firm's first partner meeting, where the excitement of merging cultures and the power of genuine connection came alive. Jessica is relatable and full of practical advice, offering an important perspective on leadership and personal growth that you won't want to miss.

Get the full show notes and more resources at CommonThreads.Sorren.com

Heath Alloway leads a candid conversation with Matt Aycock and Steve Bunch on Episode 4 of Common Threads. Reflecting on the winding paths that led them into public accounting, Matt and Steve reveal how chance, competition, and a healthy dose of fear shaped their careers. The realities of building a practice, such as navigating mergers and weathering setbacks, come into focus, and turning pressure into motivation has been a key ingredient in the success of both guests. Turning to the art of business development, Matt and Steve approach the topic from wildly different perspectives, with Matt a self-declared strong introvert, and Steve someone who always found development natural and easy. But for both, the value of authentic relationships and the power of intentionality are critical elements. Their stories offer a window into the evolving culture at Sorren, where collaboration and trust fuel growth, and where the willingness to share knowledge and support others is as vital as any technical skill.

Get the full show notes and more resources at CommonThreads.Sorren.com

Jim Hickey didn't set out to become a Chief Human Resources Officer, but on Episode 3 of Common Threads, his accidental path becomes a lens for exploring what it really means to build culture in a fast-changing setup like Sorren's. He tells host Heath Alloway about his working-class roots in Columbus, the turns in his career path that eventually led to Sorren, and how mergers, legacy loyalties, and the "hire to retire" philosophy collide in the real world. Jim expresses a deep connection with people's anxieties about jobs and identity—to him, they are as real as any business plan—and this conversation is refreshingly unscripted: employee voices shape the company's values, and the HR team is built from within, the vast majority being legacy firm members. Mental health, remote work, and the invisible weight of change are all on the table, and Jim's advice is to embrace this transition, lean into the changes inherent in it, and remember that culture is far more than some slogan bandied about in a boardroom. It's the sum of daily choices made by people who care enough to do the work and make the commitment.

Get the full show notes and more resources at CommonThreads.Sorren.com