Jennifer McClure`

Equipping people leaders to navigate change — and design the future — with boldness and purpose.

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The Return of the Impact Makers Podcast

Impact Makers Podcast Episode 058

The future of work is going to happen, whether you’re engaging with the idea of it or not.

But I believe that you can truly make a difference as a leader in your workplace, and in the lives of those that you lead and serve as we navigate the future together, by being intentional about how you approach your work, and your life.

The Impact Makers podcast will be back each week, and I’ll be sharing tools, tips, and resources to help you embrace the future of work, build your influence, and leverage your expertise to create positive, lasting change.

My core belief is that if you’re in a position of leadership, or aspiring to be in one, you are uniquely situated to make a positive and measurable difference in your organization – and in the lives of those around you.

Now is your time!

Because people will be the key to organizational success in the future – more than ever before.

In the future of work, when there aren’t enough humans to fill open positions, or there aren’t enough humans with skills that are needed to do the work that’s required, it will be the leaders who are able to inspire great work, develop their people, and share a compelling vision to get – and keep – everyone engaged who are able to achieve results and thrive.

So please stop what you’re doing right now, and make sure that you’re subscribed, or following this podcast in your favorite podcast app, so you can join me here each week as part of your personal growth and development journey.

Because I believe that you can change the world through your impact on others. Let’s do this!

IMPACT MAKERS PODCAST – EPISODE 058

People & Resources Mentioned In This episode:

Workplace from Meta

Show Sponsor:

This episode of the Impact Makers Podcast is sponsored by Workplace from Meta.

Everybody’s talking about the metaverse these days, but Workplace from Meta is different – I mean, the clue’s in the name, right?

Workplace is a business communication tool that uses features like instant messaging and video calls to help people share information. Think Facebook, but for your company.

It’s part of Meta’s vision for the future of work – a future in which your job isn’t just something you do, but something you EXPERIENCE. A future in which we’ll all feel more present, connected, and productive.

Start your journey into the future of work at workplace.com/future.

Connect with Jennifer:

Send her a message [https://jennifermcclure.net/contact/]

On LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/jennifermcclure

On Twitter: https://twitter.com/JenniferMcClure

On Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jennifer_mcclure/

On Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/JenniferMcClureSpeaker

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How to Live Hard, Embrace the Future, and Create Success With Dr. Todd Dewett

photo of Dr. Todd Dewett

I’m excited to share my conversation with Dr. Todd Dewett in Episode 57 of the Impact Makers Podcast!

I met Dr. Dewett several years ago, when I was just getting my start as a professional speaker, and we both shared the stage at a regional conference.

At that time, he was a successful university professor teaching leadership and innovation to MBA students – but he didn’t look or sound like most of the professors that I’d come across in my academic career. Big, tall, bald, and covered in tattoos had never greeted me when I walked into a classroom in school.

So, of course I was intrigued to hear what this guy had to say about leadership, and I was not disappointed. With a fresh perspective, an authentic message, and some great stories, he captivated the audience, and inspired people to be bold, and think differently.

Since that time, we’ve become friends, and I’ve continued to learn from him over the years as he wrote books, left the academic world to pursue a career as a full-time speaker, and became one of LinkedIn Learning’s most popular trainers.

Now, with his unique brand of edgy leadership, Dr. Todd Dewett is a best-selling author, one of the most in-demand leadership keynote speakers in the world, and he’s motivated millions to perform at higher levels, and lead with true authenticity.

His latest book is called Live Hard, and it’s a collection of twenty inspiring stories packed with advice about living life more fully.

I think you’ll find Todd’s frank advice and unique perspective refreshing, and I’m sure you’ll get some great takeaways from our conversation.

Topics Discussed In This Episode:​​

  • What prompted Dr. Dewett to leave the corporate world to pursue a PhD in Organizational Behavior, and then leave a great job as a university professor to become a full-time author, speaker, and trainer.
  • Interesting and creative ways that Dr. Dewett encouraged students to embrace discomfort in order to open themselves up to creativity and innovation.
  • Dr. Dewett’s advice for living a more authentic life.
  • What happens when we don’t push ourselves to be more authentic with others and take principled risks.
  • Two things Dr. Dewett recommends to avoid plateauing in your life and career in your 20’s and 30’s.
  • What Dr. Dewett thinks we all need to get serious about in 2021 and beyond to ensure career and life success – even those who feel secure in their current job.
  • Dr. Dewett’s best advice for living hard, embracing the future, and creating success.

IMPACT MAKERS PODCAST – EPISODE 57

(Email subscribers – click HERE to listen to the podcast.)

Key Quotes From This Episode:

“No growth ever happens until you get uncomfortable, and you certainly can’t develop a team to care about creativity, innovation, and change until they become moderately okay with discomfort. That’s just the nature of learning.” ~ @Dr. Todd Dewett

“We know that breaking routines behaviorally breaks mental routines, and really does improve perspectives and increase creativity. So that’s all I’m essentially trying to do is to get people uncomfortable and out of routines in the classroom, because it does tend to enhance learning – at least in the areas where I’m teaching.” ~ @Dr. Todd Dewett

“You’ve got to stop censoring – as much. We over censor because we have a sensitivity to norms.” ~ @Dr. Todd Dewett

“You have to accept that people will not always universally love you. Stop trying to maximize how much people like you. Because, it turns out, happiness isn’t about maximizing how much everyone likes you. It’s about building a tribe of people that are similar-ish in values and interests, because then, liking each other is freaking easy.” ~ @Dr. Todd Dewett

“You are never universally loved. Your brand is a unique search for people that get it, not an expenditure of energy about those who don’t get it. And that is okay. If you can accept that, then the nebulous thing called authenticity is within your reach.” ~ @Dr. Todd Dewett

“Where are you going to try? Stop saying it’s not the right time. There’s never a perfect time.” ~ @Dr. Todd Dewett

“Life is very very short. What in the heck are you so scared of? Try, fail, learn, try again, and you are very likely to have lived a life that makes you content, and you got the most out of it you possibly could.” ~ @Dr. Todd Dewett

People & Resources Mentioned In This episode:

Dr. Todd Dewett website

LIVE HARD: Thoughts on Living Fearlessly, Creating Success, and Embracing the Future by Todd Dewett, PhD

Show Your Ink: Stories About Leadership and Life by Todd Dewett, PhD

Find Dr. Todd Dewett’s blog, newsletter, books, online courses, social media profiles, and more

Connect with Jennifer:

Send her a message [https://jennifermcclure.net/contact/]

On LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/jennifermcclure

On Twitter: https://twitter.com/JenniferMcClure

On Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jennifer_mcclure/

On Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/JenniferMcClureSpeaker

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Helping Leaders Succeed in Relationships, Work, Community, and Life With Mike Sipple, Jr.

photo of Mike Sipple, Jr.

When I think about people in my life who have truly had an impact on me, and have changed my life for the better, it’s a relatively small list. And my guest on Episode 56 of the Impact Makers Podcast – Mike Sipple, Jr. – is most definitely on that list, along with his father, Mike Sipple, Sr.

After leaving my last corporate job as an HR executive in late 2005, I knew I wanted to pursue a different path – and maybe even start my own business.

Thankfully, with the help of a great coach (who also happened to work in the firm owned by the Sipples), I was able to get some great advice by networking with a whole bunch of people who were much smarter than me.

Pretty much all of them didn’t feel that I was ready to start my own business, and many of them suggested that I find an organization where I could learn from someone who’d be willing to teach me how to develop the relationships necessary to grow my own business some day.

I’ll always believe that there was a bit of divine intervention in my situation at that time, and that it wasn’t an accident that I ended up connecting with the good folks at Centennial.

After speaking with Mike’s dad – Mike Sipple, Sr. – he was kind enough to offer me a chance to join their well-respected executive search firm. He was willing to show me how to build relationships, and to develop business, if I was willing to do the work.

So I joined Centennial in early 2006, with the goal of learning from Mike Sr. – which I most certainly did. But there was also an added bonus with joining the Centennial team. I got to know, and work with Mike Sipple, Jr. as well. Mike was about 20 years younger than me, but already a powerhouse relationship builder, and doing great work as an executive search consultant for a variety of clients in our region, and beyond.

If you’d like to hear more about that story, and the Sipple’s influence in my life, I shared about it on Episode 7 – titled How I Became a Speaker and Entrepreneur. I’ll link to that episode in the show notes if you’ve not had a chance to listen to that yet.

I think you’ll benefit from learning more about Mike today, and I’d highly encourage you to follow him, as well as the work that his teams are doing. So without further ado, let me introduce you to my friend and mentor Mike Sipple, Jr.

Mike is President of the third-generation boutique executive search firm Centennial, Inc. and Co-Founder and CEO of the global leadership platform and consultancy, Talent Magnet Institute®.

As an advisor, writer, and public speaker on holistic leadership, inclusive and equitable workplaces, and how organizations can become a “talent magnet,” Mike has supported leaders from all over the world for more than two decades in hiring the right talent, building inclusive and equitable teams, and developing holistic leaders who care about the impact of their leadership.

As the host of the Talent Magnet Institute podcast, Mike shares conversations each week with leaders from around the world, with a focus on equipping leaders to succeed in relationships, work, community, and life.

Mike is married to his high school sweetheart, has three children, 13, 11, and 9, and both a Goldendoodle and Shih-tzu, who were both COVID-19 puppies, added over the last year of a global pandemic. Most evenings and weekends, Mike and his wife Amber can be found cheering for their kids at a basketball court, or a baseball field, or creating conversations with the global community on social media.

Topics Discussed In This Episode:​​

  • How and when Mike got his start working in the family executive search business.
  • What Mike’s Dad has taught him as a business leader, husband, and father.
  • How listening to Centennial, Inc.’s customers has helped to shape the company’s focus and future, which is leadership succession, and building high performance teams.
  • How executive search consultants begin the search for the right candidate for a position, and how leaders can position themselves to be found
  • The best career advice that I’ve learned from Mike.
  • How the Talent Magnet Institute came into existence, and what the purpose of the organization is.
  • How Mike manages the many requests and inquiries from people both in his network, and those who are interested in connecting with him.
  • What the future holds for Mike, his businesses, and his community of relationships.

IMPACT MAKERS PODCAST – EPISODE 56

(Email subscribers – click HERE to listen to the podcast.)

Key Quotes From This Episode:

“Relationships are borderless.” ~ Mike Sipple, Jr.

“Stop trying to hope another leader swoops in to change the world. YOU are the leader. You are the one who can do it.” ~ Mike Sipple, Jr.

“If you layer value adds around you, there’s other beautiful bouquets of flowers people can pick up. They don’t need one from you directly.” ~ Mike Sipple, Jr.

“At the end of the day, we’re put on this earth, hopefully we have one life we can impact. You know, I use the quote often by Jackie Robinson – ‘A life is not important, except for the impact it has on others.’” ~ Mike Sipple, Jr.

People & Resources Mentioned In This episode:

Mike Sipple, Jr.

Connect with Mike on most social platforms or through links at https://www.mikesipplejr.com

Centennial, Inc.

Talent Magnet Institute

Talent Magnet Institute podcast

Mike Sipple, Sr.

Susan Sipple

Goering Center for Family & Private Business

HR Social Hour Half Hour podcast

Impact Makers Podcast Episode 007 – How I Became a Speaker and Entrepreneur

Here are some awesome free resources to support you in leading well -> https://www.talentmagnetinstitute.com/resources

The team at Talent Magnet would also like to offer the Impact Makers community a 30-day $1 trial to become a talent magnet – 

https://www.talentmagnetinstitute.com/trial

Connect with Jennifer:

Send her a message [https://jennifermcclure.net/contact/]

On LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/jennifermcclure

On Twitter: https://twitter.com/JenniferMcClure

On Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jennifer_mcclure/

On Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/JenniferMcClureSpeaker

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Redefining HR: Embracing Modern People Practices To Fuel Business Success With Lars Schmidt

photo of Lars Schmidt

Since it’s a new year, I’m already hard at work on achieving the goals that I set for myself, and my businesses in 2021. And one of my goals this year is to read 24 books.

Thankfully, I’ve got some good friends who are helping to fill my reading list with books that they’ve written, which were set for January 2021 release dates!

I spoke with my best friend Laurie Ruettimann about her new book, Betting On You, which released a couple of weeks ago in Episode 53 of the podcast, and in this episode, I’m chatting with my friend Lars Schmidt about his new book – Redefining HR – which releases worldwide on January 26, 2021.

I really enjoyed my conversation with Lars, and he has a great grasp on how leaders in all areas – not just human resources – should approach building strong and capable organizations through implementing modern people practices.

Lars Schmidt is the Founder and Principal of Amplify – a firm that helps progressive people leaders and companies navigate the future of work.

Long interested in emerging work trends, tech, and people practices, his curiosity fueled a career that has afforded him the privilege of solving complex talent challenges for some of the biggest brands in their respective fields including NPR, Ticketmaster, SpaceX, Duo Security, and Hootsuite. He’s always been drawn to HR leaders who operate at the leading edges of the field, who embrace 21st Century HR, and who are redefining people practices through their vision, experience, and approach.

Lars has long worked to accelerate the evolution of Human Resources’ capabilities and impact through efforts like co-founding the HR Open Source initiative, by contributing regular columns for Fast Company and Forbes, and also writing books, including Employer Branding for Dummies in 2017, and his latest book – Redefining HR, which will release worldwide on January 26, 2021.

Redefining HR provides a framework for leaders to build modern and world-class people teams, enabling them to create people-centric organizations that lead to long-term success.

Topics Discussed In This Episode:​​

  • Lars’ transition from recruiting leader, to employer branding expert, to HR and People Operations community leader and curator.
  • How Lars and Ambrosia Vertesi applied the Open Source concept to create a platform for HR leaders to share case studies, templates, and learnings to accelerate innovation.
  • How curation of resources, experts, and the work of others can be an important part of building credibility, and a personal brand.
  • 7 communities Lars suggests where HR and people leaders can get learning and development opportunities.
  • 5 visionary leaders in the HR and people space Lars suggests that others follow and learn from.
  • 3 skills that Lars believes modern people leaders need to master or develop in 2021 and beyond.

IMPACT MAKERS PODCAST – EPISODE 55

(Email subscribers – click HERE to listen to the podcast.)

Key Quotes From This Episode:

“To me, one of the most significant changes in the field of HR over the last 5 years is our evolution from black box, to open source. That’s the single most important enabler of the shift from legacy HR to modern HR.” ~ Lars Schmidt

“I think, in legacy HR, your role was based upon having HR acumen. Modern HR is based on having business acumen AND HR acumen. HR acumen is table stakes. You have to understand how to do x, y, or z  depending upon what your job is, but you have to understand how that connects to the business, how that supports the business, how is that going to enable to the business to achieve its goals.” ~ Lars Schmidt

“Don’t limit yourself to HR resources and communities. Especially if you’re in a leadership role – you need to sharpen your business acumen. So whether that’s other forums – like Harvard Business Review or The Economist – or other platforms and publications that aren’t necessarily looking at things purely from an insular HR perspective, but more of a broader business perspective. You’ve got to be plugged into those other networks as well.” ~ Lars Schmidt

“Find some of the leading thinkers in the space, and absorb not just their own content, but find out who they are reading, where they are learning from, and where they’re getting their ideas from.”  ~ Lars Schmidt

“If we’re not diversifying our sources, if we’re not diversifying the perspectives and the voices that we’re taking in, our outlook is going to have deep blind spots. You do need to be intentional and deliberate about diversifying the voices that are informing our perspective on the field.” ~ Lars Schmidt

“For leaders, your value to your organization, to your employees, to your company – it’s not just the knowledge that you have, it’s the knowledge that you have access too.” ~ Lars Schmidt

People & Resources Mentioned In This episode:

Amplify Talent

Redefining HR

Book -> Redefining HR: Transforming People Teams to Drive Business Performance by Lars Schmidt

Podcast -> Redefining HR

Newsletter / Blog  -> Redefining HR

Book -> Employer Branding for Dummies by Richard Mosley and Lars Schmidt

Lars Schmidt LinkedIn

Lars Schmidt Twitter

Lars Schmidt articles on Fast Company

People Geeks – a Culture Amp community

Workhuman

HR Open Source Community

Hacking HR

DisruptHR

Google Rework 

Bersin Academy

Redefining HR Episode 37 – Reddit VP People & Culture, Katelin Holloway

Redefining HR Episode 40 – Spotify CHRO, Katarina Berg

Redefining HR Episode 28 – VaynerMedia Chief Heart Officer, Claude Silver

Erin L. Thomas, PhD – Head of Diversity, Inclusion & Belonging and Talent Acquisition at Upwork

Connect with Jennifer:

Send her a message [https://jennifermcclure.net/contact/]

On LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/jennifermcclure

On Twitter: https://twitter.com/JenniferMcClure

On Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jennifer_mcclure/

On Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/JenniferMcClureSpeaker

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Turning Passion Into Purpose: From Career Coach to Recruiting Tech Company Founder With Ariel Lopez

photo of Ariel Lopez

One of the best things about the work that I do is that I have the opportunity to connect with so many talented people doing great things to make the world of work – and the world – better for us all in the future.

Early last year, while looking to expand my network of leaders with diversity and inclusion expertise, I reached out to my network and asked a simple question – “Who should I know that does great work in this area?”

What followed were over 90 recommendations, and I was able to make some great new connections, have some great conversations, and add to my list of potential referral partners in the future.

The first person who responded to my question was Daniel Chait, the CEO & co-founder of Greenhouse, an HR tech company that helps organizations become great at hiring.

Daniel was quick to recommend that I connect with one of his mentees – Ariel Lopez.

Ariel followed up with me shortly thereafter, and suggested that we connect briefly to get to know each other better. I enjoyed chatting with her so much, that I made introductions for her to a couple of leaders in my network as well, not because she or they had any specific need at the time, but because I could see that Ariel is someone who is making things happen, and I felt that they needed to know more about her and her work as well.

Which brings us to where we are today, where I’m also introducing Ariel to many of you. Pro tip: that’s how effective networking, relationship building, and follow up works, and you’ll hear more about how Ariel values that process in our conversation today.

So, without further adieu, let me introduce you to Ariel Lopez – a career coach, entrepreneur, and public speaker with an expertise in digital media and technology. Ariel is the Founder and CEO of Knac, a platform that provides recruiters with a more efficient tool for screening applicants, managing their pipeline, and ensuring that they don’t miss out on great talent.

With over a decade of recruiting experience, Ariel has had the privilege of helping some of the biggest brands in the world to build great teams, and as a career coach, she’s worked with thousands of marketing, advertising, and tech professionals to help them grow in their careers and find lucrative opportunities.

Passionate about the future of work and making the job search more humane, Ariel’s ultimate goal is to help people to find career happiness, and to live their best lives.

Topics Discussed In This Episode:​​

  • Why Ariel loved coaching people in their career journey, and how that experience set her on the journey to helping people to find jobs that they’re passionate about, and care for.
  • Ariel’s recommendation for people interested in finding a career that they love.
  • The importance of resilience and confidence for reaching career goals.
  • How identifying your leverageable skills can help you take charge of your career, and make wise choices.
  • Ariel’s tips for networking and building relationships during COVID times.
  • The importance of figuring out your values, and the pillars that you will focus on and speak to as a thought leader.
  • What inspired Ariel to start a company focused on helping candidates to break through barriers and gain access to opportunities.
  • The trait that most Founders need in order to keep pressing ahead on any Founder’s journey.

IMPACT MAKERS PODCAST – EPISODE 54

(Email subscribers – click HERE to listen to the podcast.)

Key Quotes From This Episode:

“Keep the why strong. If your why is strong, you’ll be flexible with the how.” ~ Ariel Lopez

“Take your ego out of it. That’s very helpful in knowing that it’s not about you. Anything that happens in your journey that doesn’t work out, ultimately wasn’t meant for you.” ~ Ariel Lopez

“Figuring out what your leverageable skills are is probably one of the things that most professionals don’t know how to do well. You have to review your experience and your background, and figure out what skills are transferable into the new job that you want. The funny thing is that you probably have more transferable skills than you think.” ~ Ariel Lopez

“You’re going to have great conversations, and people are going to say no. You’re going to have great conversations, and people are going to say, this sounds cool, but I can’t do anything right now. And, you can’t take that personally, You have to accept it as ‘this is a no for right now, but that doesn’t mean a no forever.’ Having that approach to some of the people in our network has been life changing.” ~ Ariel Lopez

“Network you ass off is always my piece of advice — and trust the process.” ~ Ariel Lopez

People & Resources Mentioned In This episode:

Ariel Lopez

Ariel Lopez LinkedIn

Ariel Lopez Twitter

Knac

Knac on Twitter

Knac on LinkedIn

Connect with Jennifer:

Send her a message [https://jennifermcclure.net/contact/]

On LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/jennifermcclure

On Twitter: https://twitter.com/JenniferMcClure

On Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jennifer_mcclure/

On Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/JenniferMcClureSpeaker

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