Episode 93: Exploring the employee-owned (ESOP) model

Leah Pitzenberger is a psychologist by training, but spent almost a decade in various HR roles at Target Corporation, before focusing her career on start-ups and scale-ups in innovative, high-growth industries as their CHRO, including time as the Head of HR at the Minnesota Wild. Now, she is the founder of A People Revolution, helping organizations and leaders thrive in the future of work. She appeals to the non-believers, the nay-sayers, the skeptics. Her strategies are grounded in logic, truth and practical application. Her approach isn’t fluffy or ambiguous. It’s simple, clear, backed by science, and filled with her own experience and truths. She is changing how leaders and organizations think about delivering results … and is on a mission to create a world where Mondays don’t suck.   Guest: Leah Pitzenberger: CEO, A People Revolution linkedin.com/in/leahpitz   Hosts: Mike Thul - linkedin.com/in/thulmichael Jessie Novey - linkedin.com/in/jessienovey   INTERESTED IN SPONSORSHIP? Please email [email protected]. Twin Cities Society For Human Resources: Recognized as one of the nation's largest SHRM (Society for Human Resource Management) chapters, TCSHRM is based in the Twin Cities of Minneapolis and St. Paul, Minnesota. With an ongoing calendar of events, we are an active SHRM group always looking to promote, influence, and educate our members through multiple channels. Join Us! Become a TCSHRM Member. https://www.tcshrm.org/ Thank you for listening, and if you enjoy our podcast episodes please consider leaving a review, as it helps us reach more listeners.  © MMXXIII TCSHRM. All Rights Reserved. For Personal Use Only.

Sharona is a global HR consultant with expertise in global total rewards. Her specialties are compensation, benefits, HR operations, HRIS, performance management, and global mobility. Her experience spans a variety of industries including tech services, healthcare, manufacturing, venture capital, market research, and insurance. She has spent much of her career leading global total rewards for small- to mid-sized companies experiencing significant growth and transformation through both steady-state and M&A phases. She enjoys helping her clients by leveraging strategic, data-driven expertise with tactical support and robust change management to solve business challenges. Sharona is SPHR certified and is a board member and treasurer of the Chicago Compensation Association and a founding member of The People Collective.  She received her Bachelor’s in Industrial/Organizational Psychology and her Master’s in Labor and Industrial Relations with a concentration in Human Resources Management from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (UIUC). In her free time, she enjoys her family and hiking the outdoors. She also has a slight addiction to pickleball.   Guest: Sharona Abramson: Founder at Inflection Point Total Rewards, LLC Sharona Abramson | LinkedIn  Hosts: Mike Thul - linkedin.com/in/thulmichael Jessie Novey - linkedin.com/in/jessienovey Engineer: Chris Mueller - linkedin.com/in/cjmueller86  INTERESTED IN SPONSORSHIP? Please email [email protected]. Twin Cities Society For Human Resources: Recognized as one of the nation's largest SHRM (Society for Human Resource Management) chapters, TCSHRM is based in the Twin Cities of Minneapolis and St. Paul, Minnesota. With an ongoing calendar of events, we are an active SHRM group always looking to promote, influence, and educate our members through multiple channels. Join Us! Become a TCSHRM Member. https://www.tcshrm.org/ Thank you for listening, and if you enjoy our podcast episodes please consider leaving a review, as it helps us reach more listeners.  © MMXXIII TCSHRM. All Rights Reserved. For Personal Use Only.

Since 1992, Nancy has led the Human Resources team for Room & Board, a 100% employee-owned (ESOP) business with more than 1,000 staff members and annual revenues in excess of $600 million. Nancy also serves on the Board of Directors for the company. As an omni-channel retailer of contemporary home furnishings, Room & Board strives to create exceptional experiences for their customers to help them create homes they love. Nancy’s role is to ensure that a staff member’s experience at Room & Board is equally gratifying.  Nancy guides a team whose purpose is to foster a work environment that supports a staff member’s desire to contribute to the success of the business, while creating an environment where each individual thrives because they can be themselves. Room & Board has consistently been recognized as a top employer and is proud to be a certified B Corporation. Further, Nancy plays a key role in defining and executing Room & Board’s philanthropic strategies to protect our environment as well as strengthen the communities in which we live and work. Nancy is a sought-after speaker at top universities and business forums, sharing expertise and innovative thought leadership in business strategy and culture-based leadership development, as well as staff member engagement and well-being. Her efforts are laser-focused on preserving Room & Board’s core philosophies and business culture while stimulating company growth.  Nancy received her MBA from the University of Buffalo. She has also held progressive HR roles in premier companies such as the Pillsbury Company as well as small start-ups. Guest: Nancy Greatrix Manley, Chief People Officer at Room & Board Nancy Greatrix Manley | LinkedIn  Hosts: Mike Thul - linkedin.com/in/thulmichael Jessie Novey - linkedin.com/in/jessienovey Engineer: Chris Mueller - linkedin.com/in/cjmueller86    INTERESTED IN SPONSORSHIP? Please email [email protected]. Twin Cities Society For Human Resources: Recognized as one of the nation's largest SHRM (Society for Human Resource Management) chapters, TCSHRM is based in the Twin Cities of Minneapolis and St. Paul, Minnesota. With an ongoing calendar of events, we are an active SHRM group always looking to promote, influence, and educate our members through multiple channels. Join Us! Become a TCSHRM Member. https://www.tcshrm.org/ Thank you for listening, and if you enjoy our podcast episodes please consider leaving a review, as it helps us reach more listeners.    © MMXXIII TCSHRM. All Rights Reserved. For Personal Use Only.

Kevin serves as an Executive Leadership Fellow at the Carlson School of Management, University of Minnesota. He teaches applied leadership in several graduate courses. His current research topics include leadership coachability, executive derailment, and contemporary talent development. In 2015, he concluded a 34-year corporate career in leadership and talent development at General Electric and General Mills.   During his time at General Mills, the organization was consistently recognized for its innovative development work, highlighted by Fortune’s #2 ranking as one of the best companies in the world at leadership development, #1 listing by Leadership Excellence magazine, #1 Global Learning Elite ranking, and Training Magazine’s “Hall of Fame” designation as a top company for employee development. In 2007, Chief Learning Officer magazine selected Kevin as CLO of the year.   Kevin continues to be an active contributor to the leadership and talent development profession with business advising and writing. His advisory work includes the Institute for Corporate Productivity (i4cp), Study.com, and GP Strategies/Learning Technologies Group. In 2011, his first book, Dancing with the Talent Stars: 25 Moves that Matter Now, was published by Human Capital Media.    In 2015, Kevin served as editor of A CLO Leadership Reader: Chief Learning Officer Magazine’s Best for Today’s Learning Leader. His writing for Talent Management magazine received a national award for editorial excellence from the American Society of Business Publication Editors. His work has also been published in over a dozen books, including Coaching For Leadership, the Pfeiffer Annual on Leadership Development, and Forward Focused Learning.    While actively researching, writing, and teaching, he first and foremost considers himself a student of the game of leadership and believes there is always something new to learn.    In 2022, Kevin authored Coachability: The New Leadership Superpower.   Guest: Kevin Wilde: Executive Leadership Fellow at Carlson School of Management (19) Kevin Wilde | LinkedIn  Hosts: Mike Thul - linkedin.com/in/thulmichael Jessie Novey - linkedin.com/in/jessienovey Engineer: Chris Mueller - linkedin.com/in/cjmueller86    INTERESTED IN SPONSORSHIP? Please email [email protected]. Twin Cities Society For Human Resources: Recognized as one of the nation's largest SHRM (Society for Human Resource Management) chapters, TCSHRM is based in the Twin Cities of Minneapolis and St. Paul, Minnesota. With an ongoing calendar of events, we are an active SHRM group always looking to promote, influence, and educate our members through multiple channels. Join Us! Become a TCSHRM Member. https://www.tcshrm.org/ Thank you for listening, and if you enjoy our podcast episodes please consider leaving a review, as it helps us reach more listeners.    © MMXXIII TCSHRM. All Rights Reserved. For Personal Use Only.

Peter Berridge is an accomplished coach, facilitator, and author who utilizes the sciences of Positive Psychology and executive coaching to help leaders, teams, and organizations be more engaged and effective. Pete became a certified coach through the Hudson Institute of Santa Barbara and is faculty with the Center for Coaching in Organizations. He holds a Master of Applied Positive Psychology (MAPP) degree from the University of Pennsylvania. It is with this training that the Shift Positive 360® was born. Pete was determined to bring the benefits of Positive Psychology into the feedback process, which led him to co-create Change Positive, LLC.  Pete has 25+ years of coaching, facilitation, and Human Resources leadership experience. He’s excited to bring the Shift Positive® Method to the world as co-author of the #1 New Release Feedback Reimagined, endorsed by Shawn Achor and Marshall Goldsmith.   Guest: Pete Berridge CEO & founder of Change Positive, LLC  (19) Pete Berridge, MAPP, PCC | LinkedIn  Hosts: Mike Thul - linkedin.com/in/thulmichael Jessie Novey - linkedin.com/in/jessienovey Engineer: Chris Mueller - linkedin.com/in/cjmueller86  INTERESTED IN SPONSORSHIP? Please email [email protected]. Twin Cities Society For Human Resources: Recognized as one of the nation's largest SHRM (Society for Human Resource Management) chapters, TCSHRM is based in the Twin Cities of Minneapolis and St. Paul, Minnesota. With an ongoing calendar of events, we are an active SHRM group always looking to promote, influence, and educate our members through multiple channels. Join Us! Become a TCSHRM Member. https://www.tcshrm.org/ Thank you for listening, and if you enjoy our podcast episodes please consider leaving a review, as it helps us reach more listeners.    © MMXXIII TCSHRM. All Rights Reserved. For Personal Use Only.

Johnny C. Taylor, Jr., is President and Chief Executive Officer of SHRM. Recently named one of the “Most Influential People Shaping Public Policy” in our nation’s Capital by the Washingtonian Magazine, Mr. Taylor’s career spans more than 20 years as a lawyer and an executive, serving at IAC, Paramount Pictures, Blockbuster Entertainment Group and the Thurgood Marshall College Fund, among other organizations. He is a Vice-Chair of the Board of Trustees at his alma mater, the University of Miami; a member of the United Way Worldwide Board of Trustees; Independent Director of the Flores & Associates corporate board and a member of the corporate boards of Guild Education, and XPO Logistics (NYSE: XPO). He previously served as chairman of the President's Advisory Board on Historically Black Colleges and Universities and on the White House American Workforce Policy Advisory Board. Mr. Taylor is a weekly contributor to USA Today, a Fellow of the National Academy of Human Resources and a SHRM Certified Professional.   Guest: Johnny C. Taylor, Jr: President and CEO of SHRM  (19) Johnny C. Taylor, Jr., SHRM-SCP | LinkedIn Hosts: Mike Thul - linkedin.com/in/thulmichael Jessie Novey - linkedin.com/in/jessienovey Engineer: Chris Mueller - linkedin.com/in/cjmueller86  INTERESTED IN SPONSORSHIP? Please email [email protected]. Twin Cities Society For Human Resources: Recognized as one of the nation's largest SHRM (Society for Human Resource Management) chapters, TCSHRM is based in the Twin Cities of Minneapolis and St. Paul, Minnesota. With an ongoing calendar of events, we are an active SHRM group always looking to promote, influence, and educate our members through multiple channels. Join Us! Become a TCSHRM Member. https://www.tcshrm.org/ Thank you for listening, and if you enjoy our podcast episodes please consider leaving a review, as it helps us reach more listeners.    © MMXXIII TCSHRM. All Rights Reserved. For Personal Use Only. Guest: Johnny C. Taylor, Jr: President and CEO of SHRM  (19) Johnny C. Taylor, Jr., SHRM-SCP | LinkedIn Hosts: Mike Thul - linkedin.com/in/thulmichael Jessie Novey - linkedin.com/in/jessienovey Engineer: Chris Mueller - linkedin.com/in/cjmueller86  INTERESTED IN SPONSORSHIP? Please email [email protected]. Twin Cities Society For Human Resources: Recognized as one of the nation's largest SHRM (Society for Human Resource Management) chapters, TCSHRM is based in the Twin Cities of Minneapolis and St. Paul, Minnesota. With an ongoing calendar of events, we are an active SHRM group always looking to promote, influence, and educate our members through multiple channels. Join Us! Become a TCSHRM Member. https://www.tcshrm.org/ Thank you for listening, and if you enjoy our podcast episodes please consider leaving a review, as it helps us reach more listeners.    © MMXXIII TCSHRM. All Rights Reserved. For Personal Use Only.  

Rob Whalen is the Co-Founder and CEO of PTO, Inc. where he started the company with Todd Lucas from his house in Woodinville. He is a serial entrepreneur with a BA in accounting from Seattle University and has over 30 years selling and developing software and hardware products. PTO Exchange was launched at HR Tech Conference in 2017, garnering press from Bloomberg, The Washington Post, Condé Nast Traveler, and an interview with Maria Bartiromo on Fox Business.  He has become a thought leader around paid time off and leave, having spoken to the JCT (joint committee for taxation in congress in 2015) with regards to laws prohibiting the middle class, HR Tech and the future of work, and World at work symposium around the gig-economy. His vision for the company is to address the workers of tomorrow with flexible, portable benefits.   Guests: Rob Whalen: CEO & Co-Founder @ PTO Exchange linkedin.com/in/rob-whalen-1287077 Hosts: Mike Thul - linkedin.com/in/thulmichael Jessie Novey - linkedin.com/in/jessienovey Engineer: Chris Mueller - linkedin.com/in/cjmueller86  INTERESTED IN SPONSORSHIP? Please email [email protected]. Twin Cities Society For Human Resources: Recognized as one of the nation's largest SHRM (Society for Human Resource Management) chapters, TCSHRM is based in the Twin Cities of Minneapolis and St. Paul, Minnesota. With an ongoing calendar of events, we are an active SHRM group always looking to promote, influence, and educate our members through multiple channels. Join Us! Become a TCSHRM Member. https://www.tcshrm.org/ Thank you for listening, and if you enjoy this podcast please consider leaving a review as it helps us reach more listeners.    © MMXXIII TCSHRM. All Rights Reserved. For Personal Use Only.

A talent executive with Fortune 30 experience, Kelly has real-world expertise in all facets of HR including global organizational performance, leadership development, executive/C-Suite talent succession, recruitment, HR technology, and organizational talent management. She has worked in many different business environments for over 25 years. She currently works for world renowned researcher and author Marcus Buckingham as well as owns her own private coaching practice. Kelly has worked with clients in organizations such as Nike, Target, Walmart, Amazon and in all business facets from HR to Advertising. Guests: Kelly Johnson: Human Resources Executive Consultant and Coach linkedin.com/in/kellyjohnsoncoaching Hosts: Mike Thul - linkedin.com/in/thulmichael Jessie Novey - linkedin.com/in/jessienovey   INTERESTED IN SPONSORSHIP? Please email [email protected]. Twin Cities Society For Human Resources: Recognized as one of the nation's largest SHRM (Society for Human Resource Management) chapters, TCSHRM is based in the Twin Cities of Minneapolis and St. Paul, Minnesota. With an ongoing calendar of events, we are an active SHRM group always looking to promote, influence, and educate our members through multiple channels. Join Us! Become a TCSHRM Member. https://www.tcshrm.org/ Thank you for listening, and if you enjoy this podcast please consider leaving a review as it helps us reach more listeners.    © MMXXIII TCSHRM. All Rights Reserved. For Personal Use Only.  

Ty Davidson joins the podcast to discuss the results of Kudoboards “2024 Employee Happiness Trends in the U.S. Based on insights from nearly 600 professionals across Fortune 500 companies, this comprehensive analysis uncovers the transformative influence of gratitude and recognition on workplace dynamics. Key highlights include: 98% of respondents acknowledged that increased appreciation leads to higher work dedication and happiness 97% noting the underestimated impact of receiving recognition 98% believed that individuals would work harder and be happier if they felt more appreciated 90% of participants reported feeling that organizations underestimate the positive effects of employee gratitude 2024 Employee Happiness Trends in the U.S.: https://www.kudoboard.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/Employee-Happiness-Trends-in-the-US-Report-2024.pdf   Guests: Ty Davidson: Digital Marketer | Copywriter | Search Engine Optimizer (SEO) | Content Strategist linkedin.com/in/tyldavidson   Hosts: Mike Thul - linkedin.com/in/thulmichael Jessie Novey - linkedin.com/in/jessienovey   INTERESTED IN SPONSORSHIP? Please email [email protected]. Twin Cities Society For Human Resources: Recognized as one of the nation's largest SHRM (Society for Human Resource Management) chapters, TCSHRM is based in the Twin Cities of Minneapolis and St. Paul, Minnesota. With an ongoing calendar of events, we are an active SHRM group always looking to promote, influence, and educate our members through multiple channels. Join Us! Become a TCSHRM Member. https://www.tcshrm.org/ Thank you for listening, and if you enjoy this podcast please consider leaving a review as it helps us reach more listeners.    © MMXXIII TCSHRM. All Rights Reserved. For Personal Use Only.

Angela is the founder of Lift Bridge Strategy, a boutique consultancy focused on more personal and human-centered approaches to helping companies grow. Angela is known for building innovative teams to focus on people during periods of high growth, talent shortage, internal shifts in culture due to leadership or ownership transition, and M&A integration. Prior to founding Lift Bridge, Angela led teams focused on talent and the team member experience at Marvin. Angela also held multiple leadership roles in Human Resources with Walmart, where she helped impact talent and engagement for associates across the business. Angela holds a B.A. in Psychology from Coe College and an M.A. in Industrial/Organizational Psychology from Minnesota State University, Mankato. When not working, Angela enjoys reading, traveling with her husband and spoiling her two springer spaniels, George and Grace.   Guests: Angela Christman: Founder | Advisor | Board President | Speaker | Podcast Host linkedin.com/in/angelachristman Hosts: Mike Thul - linkedin.com/in/thulmichael Jessie Novey - linkedin.com/in/jessienovey   INTERESTED IN SPONSORSHIP? Please email [email protected]. Twin Cities Society For Human Resources: Recognized as one of the nation's largest SHRM (Society for Human Resource Management) chapters, TCSHRM is based in the Twin Cities of Minneapolis and St. Paul, Minnesota. With an ongoing calendar of events, we are an active SHRM group always looking to promote, influence, and educate our members through multiple channels. Join Us! Become a TCSHRM Member. https://www.tcshrm.org/ Thank you for listening, and if you enjoy this podcast please consider leaving a review as it helps us reach more listeners.    © MMXXIII TCSHRM. All Rights Reserved. For Personal Use Only.