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The People Spark Podcast

The People Spark Podcast

Written by: People Spark®
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About this listen

The People Spark® Podcast is where ag leaders and business owners come for practical tools, real stories, and straightforward strategies to grow stronger people leaders, teams, and businesses. Hosts Kristen Ireland and Erin Mies, HR and leadership consultants with over 35 years of combined experience, share insights from the field and conversations with leaders who have been where you are. From navigating change and improving retention to building culture and leading with confidence, every episode delivers simple, actionable takeaways you can put into practice right away. Whether you’re leading a family business, co-op, managing a dealership, or running an ag-adjacent business, this podcast will help you stop spinning in circles and move forward with clarity, confidence, and results.People Spark® Careers Economics Management Management & Leadership Personal Success
Episodes
  • AI Can Help Leaders. It Can’t Lead.
    Mar 17 2026

    In this episode, we step away from our current conversation about getting out of the weeds as we reflect on our recent experience at the GEAPS Exchange conference, where we presented during a leadership session on coaching, performance conversations, and the growing role of AI in the workplace. While AI can help leaders prepare talking points, analyze data, and think through challenges, it can’t replace the human side of leadership.

    We also unpack the surprising gap between how often managers believe they’re giving feedback and how often employees say they actually receive it, and why that disconnect matters for retention, culture, and trust.


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    Culture Development Session

    Schedule your Culture Development Session. In this free 30-minute session, you will have a personalized conversation with an expert advisor, an opportunity to see how our programs can help you define your business and people strategies, and actionable insights tailored to your goals to move to the business you have always envisioned.

    Leadership Transformation Program

    Learn about how to develop YOUR ag leaders by scheduling time with the People Spark ® team. 96% of employees want feedback – constructive OR recognition. Yet another survey found that only 5% of managers provide critical feedback to employees – even though it’s important for their development. Nearly half of managers (44%) find giving feedback stressful. Nearly a quarter (21%) avoid giving it altogether.

    Our leadership transformation program was designed to be straightforward and practical, providing content in digestible chunks, supporting participants through personalized feedback, and providing participants an environment to learn with other ag leaders across the country.

    In many instances, managers just aren’t comfortable with WHAT to do, let alone HOW to do it. They feel it’s uncomfortable, they don’t want to demotivate employees and just aren’t sure how to do it. And the repercussions of NOT giving feedback end up impacting you and your business – through lower productivity and profitability, decreased employee engagement, and increased employee turnover.

    Learn more at www.developagleaders.com.

    Podcast Produced by Texture House Sound & Visuals

    (Source: www.peoplesparkconsulting.com/podcast/episode)

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    27 mins
  • Steping Out of the Weeds: Feedback
    Mar 10 2026

    This episode is about feedback, and the leadership habit that quietly puts you right back in the weeds.

    You know the one.
    “It’ll just be quicker if I handle it.”
    “I’ll jump in and do the review.”
    “I’ll talk to them directly.”

    When senior leaders step into performance conversations that belong with managers, it can weaken accountability and create confusion fast. We talk about where your voice matters most, how to support your managers without taking over, and how to keep feedback strong without becoming the bottleneck. If you’re trying to lead without doing everyone else’s job, this one’s for you.

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    Culture Development Session

    Schedule your Culture Development Session. In this free 30-minute session, you will have a personalized conversation with an expert advisor, an opportunity to see how our programs can help you define your business and people strategies, and actionable insights tailored to your goals to move to the business you have always envisioned.

    Leadership Transformation Program

    Learn about how to develop YOUR ag leaders by scheduling time with the People Spark ® team. 96% of employees want feedback – constructive OR recognition. Yet another survey found that only 5% of managers provide critical feedback to employees – even though it’s important for their development. Nearly half of managers (44%) find giving feedback stressful. Nearly a quarter (21%) avoid giving it altogether.

    Our leadership transformation program was designed to be straightforward and practical, providing content in digestible chunks, supporting participants through personalized feedback, and providing participants an environment to learn with other ag leaders across the country.

    In many instances, managers just aren’t comfortable with WHAT to do, let alone HOW to do it. They feel it’s uncomfortable, they don’t want to demotivate employees and just aren’t sure how to do it. And the repercussions of NOT giving feedback end up impacting you and your business – through lower productivity and profitability, decreased employee engagement, and increased employee turnover.

    Learn more at www.developagleaders.com.

    Podcast Produced by Texture House Sound & Visuals

    (Source: www.peoplesparkconsulting.com/podcast/episode)

    Show More Show Less
    41 mins
  • Stepping Out of the Weeds: Onboarding
    Mar 3 2026

    Stepping Out of the Weeds: Onboarding is all about the handoff—from "we're hiring" to "you're part of the team." We unpack why onboarding is where so many good hires quietly fall apart, and what leaders can do to keep that from happening. You'll walk away thinking differently about how hiring decisions get made, how much "structure" is actually needed, and how to build early trust without making onboarding a huge production. Simple moves. Big ripple effects.

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    Culture Development Session

    Schedule your Culture Development Session. In this free 30-minute session, you will have a personalized conversation with an expert advisor, an opportunity to see how our programs can help you define your business and people strategies, and actionable insights tailored to your goals to move to the business you have always envisioned.

    Leadership Transformation Program

    Learn about how to develop YOUR ag leaders by scheduling time with the People Spark ® team. 96% of employees want feedback – constructive OR recognition. Yet another survey found that only 5% of managers provide critical feedback to employees – even though it’s important for their development. Nearly half of managers (44%) find giving feedback stressful. Nearly a quarter (21%) avoid giving it altogether.

    Our leadership transformation program was designed to be straightforward and practical, providing content in digestible chunks, supporting participants through personalized feedback, and providing participants an environment to learn with other ag leaders across the country.

    In many instances, managers just aren’t comfortable with WHAT to do, let alone HOW to do it. They feel it’s uncomfortable, they don’t want to demotivate employees and just aren’t sure how to do it. And the repercussions of NOT giving feedback end up impacting you and your business – through lower productivity and profitability, decreased employee engagement, and increased employee turnover.

    Learn more at www.developagleaders.com.

    Podcast Produced by Texture House Sound & Visuals

    (Source: www.peoplesparkconsulting.com/podcast/episode)

    Show More Show Less
    43 mins
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