Let's Fix Work With Laurie Ruettimann

Let's Fix Work is underwritten by WorkHuman, sponsored by Globoforce.​ Visit WorkHuman.com and use code WorkHumanLFW for a $100 off discount. When I think of today’s guest, I think of her as a superb expert in career advice. I am happy to welcome to Let’s Fix Work, Kathryn Sollmann. Kathryn is a speaker, coach, and author.  In her new book, Ambition Redefined, she encourages independence from “lean-in” and “break the glass ceiling” language. She wants you to find your own brand of ambition and success, take advantage of today's more flexible workplace, and chart alternative career paths that accommodate and fund the life that you want and you deserve. One of Kathryn’s missions is to show women that there is a lot of flexibility to be found in the workforce today. So if you want to find balance but don't know where to start, and if you deal with childcare issues or aging parents and you're sick of the way the rat race doesn't take care of you, then sit back and listen to this episode of Let’s Fix Work.   In

Let's Fix Work is underwritten by WorkHuman, sponsored by Globoforce.​ Visit WorkHuman.com and use code WorkHumanLFW for a $100 off discount.   Not everyone knows that I am a daughter of a police officer. My mom is retired from the Chicago Police Department. She has a great benefit plan and pension package. That’s because of smart union negotiations. Yes, the union has done right by my family. And speaking of unions, my guest this week is Jason Greer, labor relations expert and founder of Greer Consulting Inc. He is a Gen-Xer with a slightly different take on unions. He believes in protecting the working class and that there is strength in numbers. But yet he also believes a union is the wrong way of protecting your interests. We talk about all of that and more in this week’s episode of Let’s Fix Work.  In this episode you’ll hear: Jason’s quick and dirty story of who he is and what he does The reasons many companies fight unions and work to keep them out Jason’s thoughts on “getting the union you deserve”

Are you known as a troublemaker? Do you hate the status quo? Well, on today's show, Dr. Patti Fletcher joins me to discuss what it means to be a disruptive influence at work and how it can work to your advantage. Dr. Patti Fletcher is a global speaker on gender equity, cultural transformation and leadership, and the best selling author of the book, Disrupters: Success Strategies from Women Who Break the Mold.    In addition to talking about disrupting the status quo, we talk about Patti’s career journey, how she came to research the topics of unconscious bias and gender equity, plus we talk all about her book. Additionally, we discussed the topic of gender equity and exclusivity. And of course, we covered disruption in the workplace - both the positive effects and negative.   In this episode you’ll hear: The various stages of Patti’s career beginning with enterprise software and on to what she is doing now How Patti came to pursue the topic of disrupting HR and gender equity in the workplace Patti shares abo

I love it when podcasts are confessional and brave. It inspires me and makes me want to tell you all of my secrets. But what happens when a podcast veers away from being authentic to straight-up marketing that is, well, somewhat jarring? I will tell you what happens (because it did); I become inspired to record a bonus episode to talk all about it.While listening to a marketing podcast, the host shared her experience about a recent weight gain. What was perceived as authentic and vulnerable at first, crescendoed into an affiliate marketing pitch. Okay I understand podcast hosts sell products on their episodes. I get it and can respect it. I may sell products or services on my podcast in the future, as well. But then the host said this, “Everybody needs a life coach,” and my respect flew right out the window. I’m not really sure that everybody needs a life coach. I do know that everybody needs psychological safety, love, food and healthcare. Sometimes we say, “Life coach,” when we mean, we need friends (or s

This week’s guest on Let’s Fix Work is Joe Hirsch, TEDx speaker and best-selling author of ‘The Feedback Fix’ and managing director of Semaca Partners, a boutique communications firm. Joe is also an award-winning educational leader in using applied behavioral science to create more positive and better-performing workplaces. In this episode, Laurie asks Joe about his philosophy behind creating positive change and his methods of optimizing how you give and receive feedback. He also explains the correct mindset to approach feedback as a manager, do you want to force a change or provoke an insight? Laurie and Joe discuss bypassing resistance to change and how traditional performance management falls short when compared to treating people as agents of change. Laurie quizzes Joe about when it is appropriate and how to tell someone that their feedback is unwanted, and both then discuss some anecdotes about times they received feedback that was difficult to digest. Joe and Laurie then explore how to avoid recreating

For episode two of this season, we welcome Nando Rodriguez and German Marin from Brooklyn New York to the show. Nando Rodriguez is a former recruiter and blogger who now works as a coach, influencer and an advocate. German is a LinkedIn headshot and online dating photographer. Both live their lives openly on social media as entrepreneurs and influencers.   To start the interview Laurie asks Nando and German about their early careers, how they got into their current jobs and what it is like living in the public eye through social media. Nando discusses his time as a blogger and what it is like using social media for dating and business, he and German also talk about how they initially met and how their careers have intertwined with their personal lives.   Next, we delve into how Nando and German support and lift each other up in their daily lives. Nando illustrates that knowing someone’s signals and boundaries often come with time, but it is important not to rely on each other for everything. German talks a bi

Let’s Fix Work is back for season 2. The first episode has Laurie interviewing a returning audience favorite, Áine Cain. Áine is a reporter in the retail section at Business Insider. She covers Walmart, Target, Home Depot, and Lowe's. We begin the episode catching up with Áine about her recent trip to Iceland, involving hotdogs, highlands and the famous Blue Lagoon. Laurie asks Áine about the impact of the trends towards online shopping and the current retail situation some have termed the ‘retailpocalypse’. Áine unpacks why some stores are moving towards what they call ‘omnichannel outlets’, in an attempt to become more flexible and pivot to customer’s needs. The next segment starts with a discussion about Amazon’s recent pay debacle and their ‘gig economy’, which leads to some exploration of working conditions at larger companies. Laurie poses the question “is there still room in the market for boutique outlets?” and casts a skeptical eye over the theory that employee happiness directly impacts profitabilit

Are we ready for change? Are we prepared to do what it takes to make the American dream come alive again? It would take some drastic reforms to get those much-needed results. Something's got to give, and this administration has to go. Today's guest is Andrew Yang. He's Asian-American, a 2020 Presidential Candidate, a serial entrepreneur, and a man who actually understands people, numbers, and technology. In other words, the complete opposite of Trump. Laurie and Andrew talk about progressive platforms that will spark the change we need to get us back into shape. Andrew agrees that work is broken. The times are changing and we need to transform how we think about work to get any real benefit from it. We're going through the greatest economic and technological transition in human history. The problem, now, is that our government doesn't understand this shift. They are stuck working with obsolete concepts that will eventually break the economy - and not in a good way. When change isn't happening, you've got to

The world is changing, and us with it. We are living our lives 50% in the real world, and the other half in the virtual world. With the internet connecting the two, it’s harder than ever to imagine one without the other. While it seems like we’re more connected than ever, in truth, our communication has become LESS personal. We’re joined today by Dr. Nick Morgan, who discusses the pros and cons of how we connect with people, despite the limitations of virtual communication. Dr. Nick Morgan recently wrote a book titled, “Can You Hear Me? How To Connect With People In A Virtual World.” He tells us the story that inspired him to write this book, and how it can change your perception of unconscious communication. How is technology making communication worse? Believe it or not, it’s not auto-correct. Nick reveals one of the biggest problems with online communication: people use the same language pattern they use face-to-face, and due to the lack of emotional subtext, we often misunderstand people's intent. We go

Are you living your dream or someone else's? What does it really take to land a promising writing career in 2018? Joining Laurie today is accomplished Sports Journalist and New York Times best-selling author, Jeff Pearlman. They talk about Jeff's amazing journey from screw up to best-selling author, the gig economy and the decline in the journalism industry, and the connection between politics and sports. You’ll discover why it matters that we speak out about important topics. Jeff Pearlman’s "Football for a Buck: The Crazy Rise and Crazier Demise of the USFL," promptly rose to become a #1 best-seller. The content was drawn from over 400 interviews of unadulterated, unforgettable, and downright scandalous stories. Who wouldn't want a copy? But no one becomes a best-selling author overnight. After all, writing is all about incremental learning. As you work the process, you’re always learning and growing. Jeff talks about his writing roots and how his career came to be. The gig economy is upon us, there seems

Isn’t it about time we had a corporate mindset shift? Because come on! There's more to work than giving the company your heart and soul. Jon Fortt, co-anchor of CNBC’s “Squawk Alley,” joins Laurie to talk about what's going right, what went wrong, and what's broken in the world of work. They talk about the reshaping of the traditional corporate mindset, #MeToo, wages, and the future of work. Jon Fortt is the host at Fortt Knox, a podcast dedicated to interviewing the highest achievers in the business, entertainment, philanthropy, and sports industries. His show gives us a sneak peek into these industry giants' lives and businesses while tackling the most interesting business and economic issues. How can we emulate the best leaders in the industry? Jon shares his take on how today's leaders are rethinking and reshaping the traditional corporate mindset. He shares how two outstanding leaders are breaking the mold of tradition with their business approach: Microsoft CEO, Satya Nadella, and Stitch Fix CEO, Katri

How do you future-proof your business or career? Are robots taking over all our jobs? On the show today is Alexandra Levit, an author, speaker, influencer, and futurist. Alexandra helps us understand how leaders and employees can prepare to become more successful in 5-15 years time. Will you be in on the next big trend? Alexandra believes the future will be project-based business. Who is Alexandra Levit? She started her corporate journey back in 2004. She wrote a book called, “They Don’t Teach Corporate in College,” and taught young professionals how to succeed in Corporate America. That was when she realized how Human Resources would have a much more strategic function in the 21st century. As a futurist, Alexandra analyzes and makes predictions on how businesses can be successful 5-15 years into the future. The goal is to prepare these companies and their employees for better, more meaningful careers in the future workplace. Alexandra wrote, “Humanity Works: Merging Technologies and People for the Workforce

Employees aren’t that complicated. If they’re happy, they stay. If they’re unhappy, they leave. When women and minorities are leaving Corporate America in droves, the problem is obvious: these underrepresented groups aren’t happy. What’s causing the mass exodus and what, if anything, are we doing about it? Jose Pinero, the CEO of Latino Leadership Performance, talks about the importance of understanding and implementing cultural visibility, as well as how inclusion and diversity strategies boost workforce productivity and engagement. Jose Pinero is a Fortune 100 business coach, speaker, and author. With over 20 years of corporate experience, Jose has seen the disparity within the ranks of organizations. Women and minorities aren’t able to climb the corporate ladder, something he’s seen again and again. Jose has made it his mission to empower these groups of people, to help them become successful leaders, and to improve visibility, inclusion, and diversity in corporate hierarchy. What is Jose’s take on work b

“Let’s empower men!” said no one ever. It’s 2018 and we’re still struggling with equality and other social stigmas that come from centuries of brainwashing. But if men are so great, why are they vulnerable to depression and anxiety? Why are we glorifying aggression as something innate to males, and why aren’t we doing anything to change it? Today's guest is Jake Stika, a ‘Next Generation Man’ who wants to rethink what masculinity means and how we can put an end to toxicity. Who is Jake Stika and how is Next Gen Men fixing work? Jake Stika is the Co-Founder and Executive Director of this nonprofit organization that is engaging, educating, and empowering men and boys about gender in schools, communities, and workplaces. He has earned recognition from Ashoka, the British Council, the Canadian Centre for Diversity and Inclusion, and has spoken as part of the Canadian delegation at the United Nations. Jake believes that men can do better, but not under the pretense that men are inherently bad. He thinks there’s r

Would it surprise you if we said that a large number of female leaders in America were Girl Scouts? Sylvia is a Rocket Scientist, STEM Leader, and Tech Founder, and she’s also the Girl Scouts of America's CEO. Join Laurie and Sylvia as they unravel the GSUSA vital role in the development of next-gen leaders and how they sustain their programs. Dynamic leadership programs, time-tested methods, and supportive learning environments: this is what separates the GSoA from other institutions. And how can we ever forget their famous cookies? Amazing products aside, do you know what their finest contribution to society is? It’s their active role in developing the next generation of leaders, innovators and impact makers. But how do they do it? The industrial age is almost over. Job opportunities have become reliant on technology. But in our attempt to move forward and develop new technology, today’s workforce is struggling to keep up with the changes. Very few women are in the technology industry’s talent pipeline and

Did you know that a business has many of the same dynamics as a marriage? Everything that happens in a marriage (the good and the bad) is no different from what you can expect when running a business. Now, if you think keeping your business/marriage afloat is tough, just wait until you come face to face with toxic masculinity in the workplace. There’s never a dull moment in today’s podcast as Laurie invites President of RecruitingDaily.com, William Tincup, to dive into the art and science of entrepreneurship — and how we have to do better to end toxic male behavior in the workplace. Laurie has known William Tincup for years and regards him as a friend and a mentor, a man of many talents who has always given her sound advice based on his many years of experience as an entrepreneur. Today, William and Laurie share their experiences and take a critical look at startups, entrepreneurship, and how to address and amend toxic masculinity in the workplace. They also talk a little about art! A business is a vehicle f

Sometimes we get so bogged down hyper-analyzing the simplest questions, that we miss the obvious answers. “Do you love your job?” Your answer determines whether or not you’ve found the right place to cultivate your ever-evolving career, and it’s time to talk about it. Join our host/resident HR nerd and her guest, the former head of talent at Netflix (back when it was a mail-order DVD company — years before “Netflix and chill”) Patty McCord as they dive deep into understanding the world of work now, its future, and why you have to take charge of your career. So, who is Patty McCord and why is she a big deal? For starters, she created the Netflix Culture Deck, which is a PowerPoint deck on culture that went viral years ago and is downright legendary in the business world. She is the HR equivalent of Margaret Mead, with her cultural anthropologist approach to the wonderful (if sometimes nasty) world of work. Since leaving to forge her own path in 2012, Patty has been working hard to change the infrastructure o

When kindred spirits come together in a community, ideas and dreams blossom, passion gets amplified, accountability and empowerment surges, and the problems? Well, they become less daunting. In this episode, Laurie has a great conversation with a dear friend, a cult legend in the online-community building world, Ryan Paugh. Laurie and Ryan share how they met, what Ryan’s role is as a community builder, and why communities are essential in fixing the broken wheel that is work. After a few years of working for corporate America, Ryan dove into the startup arena where he felt his passion for helping others would contribute more - this was his first step in his epic entrepreneurial journey. He created Brazen Careerist, which started out as a community for young professionals looking to find their place in the corporate world, where they can find answers and support from peers and other like-minded individuals. Long story short, Brazen was a success but eventually rebranded into an SAS technology product, which

We get it. You aren’t a tube of toothpaste. But you still need a personal brand. In fact, you already have one whether you realize it or not. The question is, are you going to take charge of it? Today, Laurie talks with personal brand expert, Jennifer McClure, about what a personal brand is, why you need to develop yours, and how it can help you excel in your professional career. Jennifer will be the first to tell you that she doesn’t like the term, personal brand, but it’s the best one she’s got. You can also think of it as your reputation, and when you consider it as your professional reputation, that makes it a lot more important, doesn’t it? We’re talking about people wanting to work with or for you, getting clients, being promoted, and more. It’s your career advancement, plain and simple. So how do you develop your personal brand? Think about Oprah Winfrey. She’s got one of the strongest personal brands in the world. Her message, live your best life, is known around the world. But her story hasn’t all b

Robin Schooling is ‘America’s HR Lady’ and has been Laurie’s dear friend for quite some time. Despite that, Laurie has been putting off the HR episode because, frankly, HR has a bad reputation for fixing work. It took someone like Robin, who is breaking stereotypes around the globe, to make this episode possible. In today’s episode, Laurie and Robin talk about a slew of HR-related issues, from discrimination to whether HR is really needed. What does it take to get the title, ‘America’s HR Lady,’ from Laurie? Robin has been in the HR profession for a long time. During her two decades of HR experience, she worked across many fields: healthcare, academia, banking, gaming, and that’s just to name a few. In other words, she’s pretty much done it all. And when asked how to fix work, Robin’s first question was how we would fix HR. Robin has a fantastic analogy on the state of work – it’s a hemophiliac who has fallen down too often and gotten too many bruises. Work might be broken, but it’s in the ER and needs urgen