Episodes

  • 090: Ready for Change. Now What?

    090: Ready for Change. Now What?
    Oct 12 2026
    About Ready for Change. Now What?What happens when you know you’re ready for something different—but you’re not quite sure what that “something” is?Maybe you’ve outgrown your role. Maybe your career has taken an unexpected turn. Maybe you’re an athlete transitioning into life beyond sports. Or maybe you simply know there’s more you could be doing but can’t quite articulate what that looks like.That’s where Alex Bowden comes in.In this episode of SpeakEasy HR, Alex joins David Noe to talk about “Ready for Change. Now What?” and why career decisions should start with something deeper than a job title.Alex believes people are more than their résumés, degrees, and job titles. Her work focuses on helping people understand their strengths, values, experiences, and the environments where they thrive—and then using that understanding to figure out what comes next.As a former professional dancer who transitioned into HR, talent, and entrepreneurship, Alex understands firsthand how closely our work can become tied to our identity. When you’ve spent years defining yourself by what you do, figuring out who you are beyond that role can be challenging.Through CareerCatalyst, Alex helps individuals uncover and articulate the value they bring, while her work with PEOPLEfirst helps organizations recognize talent they may otherwise overlook.We’ll talk about career transitions, identity, strengths, overlooked talent, athletes preparing for life beyond sports, and why employers need to look beyond traditional résumés and familiar career paths when identifying potential.Because sometimes the biggest career question isn’t:“What job do I want?”It’s:“Who am I, what do I bring to the table, and where could that take me?”Join us October 12 for a conversation about change, career identity, and figuring out what’s next.Ready for change? Now what?Let’s talk about it. To learn more about Alex and her work, visit www.choosecareercatalyst.com
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    52 mins
  • Top Shelf Take: It’s OK to Not Be OK

    Top Shelf Take: It’s OK to Not Be OK
    Oct 9 2026
    About It’s OK to not be OK. In recognition of World Mental Health Day, David Noe shares a reminder that we all face challenges, asking for help is a sign of strength, and sometimes the most powerful thing we can do is simply listen. Because people matter—and that includes you.
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    6 mins
  • 089: You Can’t Outwork Burnout

    089: You Can’t Outwork Burnout
    Oct 5 2026
    AboutWhat if the same drive that helped you succeed is also the thing driving you toward burnout?For high performers, leaders, and corporate professionals, burnout doesn’t always look like falling apart. Sometimes it looks like showing up, getting the work done, answering one more email, taking on one more responsibility—and quietly running on empty.In this episode of SpeakEasy HR, David Noe sits down with Ivy Watts, mental health speaker, author, and somatic coach, for an honest conversation about burnout prevention, workplace stress, and the connection between our mental health and nervous system.Ivy draws from her own experience with anxiety, depression, overwhelming stress, burnout, and self-doubt to share practical tools that can help professionals recognize what their bodies are telling them, regulate their nervous system, build resilience, and create healthier ways to manage stress.They talk about why “just push through it” isn’t always the answer, how movement and emotional awareness can support mental wellness, and why taking care of yourself isn’t a weakness—it’s part of performing at your best.If you’re constantly running at full speed, this conversation is your reminder that you can’t outwork burnout. Sometimes the most productive thing you can do is pause, reset, and take care of the person doing the work.
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    45 mins
  • Top Shelf Take: 4 Ways to Feel Less Lonely in HR

    Top Shelf Take: 4 Ways to Feel Less Lonely in HR
    Oct 2 2026
    HR can be a lonely profession, but you don’t have to navigate it alone. In this Top Shelf Take, David shares four ways HR professionals can feel less isolated. Whether you’re new to HR or have been doing it for decades, connection matters. You’re human, you won’t always have the answers, and you were never meant to do this work alone. Book mentioned in this episode is by my good friend, Pete Schramm. https://golattitude.com/pathfinders-book/
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    6 mins
  • 088: Fun Is the Secret Ingredient to Success

    088: Fun Is the Secret Ingredient to Success
    Sep 28 2026
    About Fun Is the Secret Ingredient to Success with Joel Zeff What if having more fun at work isn't a distraction from success—but actually a key ingredient to achieving it? In this episode of SpeakEasy HR, David Noe sits down with Joel Zeff, dynamic speaker, improvisational humorist, author, and longtime advocate for bringing more energy and celebration into the workplace. Joel shares why organizations and individuals should celebrate everyday successes and how doing so can increase collaboration, productivity, passion, creativity, and innovation. With a career that has taken him from journalism and corporate communications to comedy and the stages of companies like Wells Fargo, Samsung, KPMG—and even the IRS—Joel has built a unique approach to helping people connect, participate, laugh, and learn. We talk about the power of fun, why leaders sometimes take work too seriously, how improvisation can teach us to collaborate and adapt, and why the choices we make every day can shape a more creative and passionate career. Joel also shares insights from his book Make the Right Choice and challenges us to think differently about the choices we make at work and in life. Because success doesn't always have to be so serious. Sometimes, fun is the secret ingredient.
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    1 hr and 1 min
  • Top Shelf Take: Stay Out of the Woods

    Top Shelf Take: Stay Out of the Woods
    Sep 25 2026
    Stay Out of the Woods A class trip with 8th grade son taught David an unexpected lesson about leadership. As a chaperone, he learned his job wasn’t to do things for the students—it was to keep them safe, encourage them, and let them figure things out. Watching them struggle to build a survival shelter reinforced a lesson that applies directly to leadership: sometimes stepping in isn’t helping. The takeaway: Don’t confuse helping with doing. Give people room to struggle, learn, and succeed on their own.
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    5 mins
  • 087: People Intelligence - The Future of HR in an AI World

    087: People Intelligence - The Future of HR in an AI World
    Sep 21 2026
    About What happens to HR when artificial intelligence changes the way we work?In this episode of SpeakEasy HR, David Noe sits down with Cole Napper, a globally recognized leader, author, speaker, educator and practitioner in people intelligence, AI workforce transformation, people analytics and workforce strategy.Cole is the world's first Chief People Intelligence Officer at HRBench and brings experience spanning Fortune 500 companies, venture-backed startups and some of the leading organizations in workforce intelligence. He is also the owner of Directionally Correct, LLC, host of the world’s leading people intelligence podcast and newsletter, and founder of the Data Driven HR Academy.With a Ph.D. and M.A. in Industrial-Organizational Psychology, Cole brings a unique perspective to one of the biggest questions facing HR today:How can organizations use AI and data to make better decisions about their people without losing the human element?David and Cole explore the rise of people intelligence, how AI is transforming the workforce, the growing importance of people analytics, workforce planning and talent intelligence, and what HR leaders need to understand as technology continues to reshape work.The conversation also looks at what it means for HR professionals to move beyond traditional reporting and become strategic decision-makers who can connect people, data, AI and business strategy.As AI continues to transform organizations, one thing remains clear: understanding people may become more important—not less.Tune in for a thought-provoking conversation about the future of HR, AI and the growing role of People Intelligence.
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    47 mins
  • Top Shelf Take: The Best Interview Question Isn’t a Question

    Top Shelf Take: The Best Interview Question Isn’t a Question
    Sep 18 2026
    About: After two decades in HR, David Noe has spent a lot of time interviewing people—and he’s been on both sides of the interview table. From recruiting and hiring to onboarding and working with employees after the interview is over, he’s seen what can make the difference between simply filling a position and making a successful hire. In this Top Shelf Take, David shares one simple approach hiring managers can use to rethink the way they conduct interviews. It’s about creating a better conversation, learning more about the person sitting across the table, and making the interview a more valuable experience for both sides. Because sometimes, finding the right person isn’t about asking more questions. It’s about approaching the conversation differently.
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    6 mins