Inside the C-Suite

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Nov 2026

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Energy, Influence and Innovation in the C-Suite Join Christy Honeycutt for an unfiltered look into the minds of influential leaders as they share their untold stories. If you want to know how top leaders manage their energy, expand their influence and transform vision into action, this is for you. Christy and her guests dive deep into the intersection of leadership, impact and innovation, revealing the practices and mindsets that empower them to show up as their most authentic, effective selves. At its core, Inside the C-Suite is more than just leadership tactics; it’s about the energetic exchange that drives real influence and change. Whether it's navigating chaos, overcoming adversity or building the resilience to lead with clarity, the podcast uncovers the personal and professional journeys of those who are redefining what it means to lead. If you're ready to go beyond the surface and tap into the deeper currents that shape leadership, this podcast is your invitation to listen, learn and lead differently.

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November 3, 202643 min

Burnout Is the Symptom. Your Workplace Might Be the Cause | EP100

Your team may be showing up to work every day, but what is the cost of asking people to perform when their bodies are already running on empty? In this episode of Inside the C-Suite, Maude Moreno, Founder of Yoga at Work and a workplace stress and nervous system regulation trainer, explores the connection between nervous system health, leadership, and workplace burnout. After years in technology and corporate leadership, Maude experienced firsthand what happens when relentless work demands, late nights, and a lack of recovery push the body beyond its limits. Her journey from IT leadership to workplace wellness inspired her to help leaders and teams better understand their nervous systems, manage stress, and build healthier ways of working. The conversation explores why burnout is more than an individual's problem to solve, how the nervous system influences communication and decision-making, and why wellness initiatives fall short when organizations fail to address the underlying causes of stress. Maude also shares practical ways to recognize the body's warning signals, create natural stopping points throughout the workday, and balance kindness with strong personal boundaries. The leadership lesson? A healthy, high-performing workplace cannot be built by asking people to regulate themselves while leaving the systems that exhaust them unchanged. Sustainable leadership starts with understanding the humans behind the performance. What you'll learn: Why your nervous system influences your communication, energy, and decision-making before you even speak How chronic stress and a lack of recovery can contribute to burnout How leaders can recognize the warning signs their employees may be experiencing silently How workplace wellness programs become a band-aid when organizations ignore the root causes of stress Why nervous system regulation should be part of business strategy, not just an employee benefit How small practices like breathwork, movement, and intentional pauses can help you navigate demanding workdays Why leaders must address workloads, boundaries, and workplace behaviors not just ask employees to manage stress How to balance kindness with boundaries without compromising your values Why protecting your health and capacity is essential to sustainable performance | Connect with Us | Follow Maude Moreno:Website: ⁠www.yogaatwork.yoga⁠Instagram: ⁠@‌yogaatwork_⁠Facebook: ⁠Yoga At Work⁠LinkedIn: ⁠Maude Moreno⁠ (Maude Moreno is a former IT leader turned nervous system regulation trainer and founder of DBA: Yoga At Work. With 24 years of IT leadership experience and 14 years of teaching yoga, mindfulness, breathwork, and movement therapy, she helps individuals and organizations build healthier, more sustainable ways of working. A proud Filipina, Maude brings corporate experience and a passion for workplace well-being to everything she does.) Follow Inside the C-Suite:Subscribe on Spotify: ⁠Inside the C-Suite⁠Subscribe on Apple Podcasts: ⁠Inside the C-Suite⁠ Follow Christy Honeycutt: Website: ⁠https://www.christyhoneycutt.com⁠LinkedIn: ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/christyhoneycutt/⁠Instagram: ⁠@‌christyhoneycutt⁠Facebook: ⁠Christy Honeycutt⁠TikTok: ⁠@‌christyhoneycutt⁠Book: ⁠The Inner Work of Leading in a Broken System⁠ Want to be on the show or know someone who would be a great guest? Podcast Nomination Form: ⁠Inside the C-Suite | Christy Honeycutt⁠

October 26, 202640 min

Why Skills, Not Job Titles, Will Define the Future of Work | EP99

For too long, HR has been measured by the programs it delivers rather than the business impact it creates. But what happens when we stop organizing work around job titles and rigid structures and start building organizations around the skills and capabilities needed to win? In this episode of Inside the C-Suite, I sit down with Ciara Harrington, Chief People Officer at Skillsoft, to challenge traditional approaches to HR, talent development, and workforce transformation. With more than 20 years of experience leading people strategies, global transformations, and complex M&A initiatives, Ciara brings a powerful perspective on what it takes to connect people strategy to business performance. We explore why HR must think business first, why skills are becoming the new currency of work, and why learning only matters when it changes behavior and delivers measurable results. What You'll Learn: Why leading with business outcomes is a HR strategy. Why capabilities not the “org chart” determine workforce agility. How to anticipate your skill-supply chain needs. Why L&D completion rates aren’t enough to move the needle. How AI is reshaping work while making human attributes more valuable Why skills-based workforces are shaping the future. Why organizations are leading through experimentation. How to measure learning through behavior and business impact. Why courage, coaching, and stepping outside of your comfort zone are essential to professional growth. | Connect with Us | Follow Ciara Harrington:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ciarabarry/?isSelfProfile=falseWebiste: https://www.skillsoft.com/ (Ciara is the Chief People Officer at Skillsoft, where she focuses on connecting people strategy, workforce capabilities, and business performance. With a business-first approach to HR, Ciara challenges traditional thinking about talent development, emphasizing that building skills isn't simply a learning initiative—it's a business imperative). Follow Inside the C-Suite:Subscribe on Spotify: Inside the C-SuiteSubscribe on Apple Podcasts: Inside the C-Suite Follow Christy Honeycutt: Website: https://www.christyhoneycutt.comLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/christyhoneycutt/Instagram: Christy Honeycutt (@christyhoneycutt) • Instagram profileFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/christyhoneycuttTikTok: Christy Honeycutt on TikTokBook: The Inner Work of Leading in a Broken System Want to be on the show or know someone who would be a great guest? Podcast Nomination Form: Inside the C-Suite | Christy Honeycutt

October 19, 202632 min

The Leadership Shift: From Controlling Talent to Empowering It | EP98

Your best employees have influence, ambitions, and opportunities beyond your company. Are you ready to lead them? In this episode of Inside the C-Suite, I sit down with Rhona Pierce, founder and creative director of Workfluencer Media and host of the Workfluencer Podcast, to talk about personal branding, employee creators, and the changing relationship between companies and their people. After moving to the United States from Panama, Rhona experienced firsthand how difficult it can be to get recognized for your experience. Her solution was to take control of her visibility—and that experience shaped how she thinks about career growth, professional identity, and advocating for yourself. We also explore why employees with personal brands, side businesses, and their own audiences can be valuable assets rather than threats. Rhona challenges leaders to rethink how they support talent, leverage employee-generated content, and build workplaces where people can grow without sacrificing their identities. The leadership lesson? You don't build loyalty by limiting people's potential. You build stronger relationships by recognizing their value and creating opportunities to grow together. What you'll learn: Why working hard isn't always enough to get recognized How leaders can encourage employees to advocate for their growth Why employee creators can strengthen brand trust and visibility How companies can support personal brands while maintaining professional boundaries Why employees need an identity beyond their job titles How to reinvent your career using transferable skills Why authentic leadership starts with recognizing your own worth Follow Rhona Pierce:Website: Rhona Pierce | Talent Acquisition Leader & SpeakerLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rhonabarnettpierce/Instagram: Rhona Pierce | Talent Strategy (@rhonabpierce) • Instagram profileYouTube: Rhona Pierce | Workfluencer PodcastTikTok: Rhona Pierce on TikTok (Rhona Pierce is a talent acquisition leader, speaker, content creator, and host of the Workfluencer podcast. With decades of experience in talent acquisition and content strategy, she helps organizations attract qualified candidates, strengthen their employer brand, and improve recruitment outcomes. Rhona also shares insights on personal branding, professional visibility, and the importance of advocating for yourself in your career.) Follow Inside the C-Suite:Subscribe on Spotify: Inside the C-SuiteSubscribe on Apple Podcasts: Inside the C-Suite Follow Christy Honeycutt: Website: https://www.christyhoneycutt.comLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/christyhoneycutt/Instagram: Christy Honeycutt (@christyhoneycutt) • Instagram profileFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/christyhoneycuttTikTok: Christy Honeycutt on TikTokBook: The Inner Work of Leading in a Broken System Want to be on the show or know someone who would be a great guest? Podcast Nomination Form: Inside the C-Suite | Christy Honeycutt

October 12, 202630 min

From Marketing to Experience: Why Everyone Owns the Brand | EP97

Your brand isn't what marketing says it is. It's what people experience. In this episode of Inside the C-Suite, I sit down with Troy Hall, Chief Experience Officer at Quality Collision Group, to talk about what happens when marketing grows up and earns influence across the business. Troy made the move from CMO to CXO, expanding his leadership across marketing, technology, AI, IT, and the customer experience. And his philosophy is simple: Everyone owns the brand. From the person greeting the customer to the executive making strategic decisions, every interaction either reinforces the brand promise or breaks it. Drawing from his experience with the Disney Institute, Troy shares why brand can't live in a marketing deck. Employees have to understand it, believe it, and know how to deliver it. We also get into one of marketing's biggest challenges: Proving business impact. The C-suite doesn't care about clicks. It cares about what moved. Revenue. Profit. Calls. Customer behavior. Conversion. Retention. Not everything can be perfectly attributed but that doesn't mean it can't be measured. Troy also makes an important point about expectations: good strategy needs time to work. Customer journeys vary. Markets behave differently. A strategy that converts quickly in Philadelphia may take considerably longer in Utah. Leaders need to understand those differences before declaring something a success or a failure. We also talk M&A and why acquiring a company doesn't mean erasing its identity. Some of QCG's businesses have decades of history and generations of customer trust. You don't build brand equity by destroying the equity you just bought. What you'll learn: Why marketing is evolving into a broader customer experience function Why every employee not just the marketing team is responsible for the brand How frontline employees can become powerful storytellers and brand ambassadors Why humanizing employees can strengthen customer connection and trust How marketers can communicate ROI beyond traditional marketing KPIs Why marketers need to measure profit, not just revenue and campaign performance How to build a digital foundation of data before layering on upper-funnel strategies Why customer journeys and conversion timelines can vary dramatically by market How companies can preserve brand equity and culture during mergers and acquisitions Why emotional intelligence and an ownership mindset can help marketers earn a true seat at the executive table | Connect with Us | Follow Troy Hall: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/troymhall/Website: Quality Collision | Elevating The Autobody Industry (Troy Hall is the Chief Experience Officer at Quality Collision Group, a national auto body repair company focused on manufacturer-recommended OE repairs. His role spans marketing, technology, AI development, IT, and facility brand experience. Troy brings a strategic perspective to marketing, customer experience, brand building, data, culture, and business growth.) Follow Inside the C-Suite:Subscribe on Spotify: Inside the C-SuiteSubscribe on Apple Podcasts: Inside the C-Suite Follow Christy Honeycutt: Website: https://www.christyhoneycutt.comLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/christyhoneycutt/Instagram: Christy Honeycutt (@christyhoneycutt) • Instagram profileFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/christyhoneycuttTikTok: Christy Honeycutt on TikTokBook: The Inner Work of Leading in a Broken System Want to be on the show or know someone who would be a great guest? Podcast Nomination Form: Inside the C-Suite | Christy Honeycutt

October 5, 202633 min

Stop Digitizing Dysfuntion | EP96

An insightful conversation with one of the “God -Father’s” of recruitment. What happens when technology moves faster than the systems and people expected to use it? Craig Fisher has been in this game a long time and if you know Craig, you know he has a habit of seeing what’s coming before the rest of the industry catches up. Employer brand before it became a function. Community before it became a strategy. Recruiting technology before we had a tech stack for everything. And now, AISO AI Search Optimization before most organizations have even considered what AI is saying about them. In this episode of Inside the C-Suite, I sit down with Craig to talk about much more than the next shiny piece of technology. We get into the strategy behind the technology and the leadership decisions that determine whether any of it actually works. Because Craig’s perspective is pretty simple: Technology doesn’t fix bad strategy. And it definitely doesn’t fix broken process. You can automate a workflow. Implement AI. Buy the latest platform. But if you haven’t defined the problem you’re trying to solve, fixed the process underneath it, and put the right people in place to execute it, you’re not transforming recruiting. You’re just digitizing the dysfunction. We talk about why user adoption continues to be one of the biggest misses in HR technology. Recruiters are hired to hunt, build relationships, assess talent, and move people through the funnel but too often they’re buried in administrative work. Hunters want to hunt. The strategic question for leaders isn’t simply, What technology should we buy? It’s: What work should humans be doing, what should technology be doing, and have we designed the system so both can perform at their best? Then we get into AISO: AI Search Optimization. The way candidates discover and evaluate employers is changing. They’re not only searching Google, LinkedIn, and career sites anymore. They’re asking AI questions about companies, cultures, leaders, jobs, and employee experiences. That means your employer brand is increasingly being interpreted not just marketed. Craig breaks down why leaders need to understand what AI already knows about their organization, how their digital footprint influences those answers, and why discoverability is quickly becoming a strategic talent issue. And Craig knows something about getting ahead of shifts like this. He was thinking about employer brand before everyone had an employer-brand strategy. He was experimenting with recruiting technology before automation dominated the conversation. And through TalentNet Live, he was building meaningful professional networks before “community-led growth” became corporate vocabulary. That’s what makes this conversation bigger than recruiting technology. It’s about pattern recognition. It’s about knowing the difference between a trend and a fundamental shift. It’s about building the strategy and operating model before buying the solution. And it’s about remembering that efficiency isn’t the same thing as effectiveness. Because as AI gets smarter and recruiting becomes more automated, the competitive advantage may not be who has the most technology. It may be who has built the smartest system around it. Craig may be an OG in recruiting, but this conversation isn’t about looking backward. It’s about what he sees coming next. Better technology isn’t the strategy. Building a better system is. At the heart of the conversation is a reminder that the future of recruiting isn't simply about adopting more technology. It’s about using technology thoughtfully while making sure the humans inside the process still have the time, support, and connection to do their best work. What you’ll learn: Why traditional SEO is no longer enough for talent attraction What AI Search Optimization (AISO) means for employers How candidates are using AI to research companies and jobs What companies should audit on their career sites Why technology cannot fix fundamentally broken recruiting processes How humans can help identify and resolve recruiting bottlenecks that AI may miss The danger of excessive automation and the human component What entrepreneurship lesson The Great Recession taught Craig about business How employer branding can create meaningful candidate and employee experiences Why community building is so much more than a strategy | Connect with Us | Follow Craig Fisher:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/wcraigfisher/Website: Talentnet Live (Craig Fisher is a talent acquisition strategist, consultant, author, and founder of Talentnet Live. He works at the intersection of talent acquisition, technology, marketing, employer branding, and process improvement. He is the author of Hiring Humans, focused on helping employers navigate automation while maintaining the human element, and Personal Store, which explores personal branding for sales, marketing, recruiting, and business development.) Follow Inside the C-Suite:Subscribe on Spotify: Inside the C-SuiteSubscribe on Apple Podcasts: Inside the C-Suite Follow Christy Honeycutt: Website: https://www.christyhoneycutt.comLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/christyhoneycutt/Instagram: Christy Honeycutt (@christyhoneycutt) • Instagram profileFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/christyhoneycuttTikTok: Christy Honeycutt on TikTokBook: The Inner Work of Leading in a Broken System Want to be on the show or know someone who would be a great guest? Podcast Nomination Form: Inside the C-Suite | Christy Honeycutt

September 29, 202637 min

Employer Brand Isn’t What You Say, It’s What People Experience | EP95

What happens when the story a company tells about itself doesn’t match what people experience once they walk through the door? That’s where trust starts to break. On this episode of Inside the C-Suite, I sat down with Bryan Chaney—Founder of People Brand Collective and self-described “Unapologetic Chief People Nerd”—for a conversation that goes way beyond employer branding. Bryan has spent his career inside organizations like IBM, Indeed, and Crunchyroll thinking about how people experience work. And one of the biggest questions we tackled was deceptively simple: Who actually owns the employer brand? Marketing?HR?Recruiting?Leadership? The answer: everyone. Because your employer brand isn’t your careers page, your LinkedIn posts, or the perfectly polished message your marketing team created. It’s the experience people have when no one is marketing to them. And in a world of AI, automated recruiting, declining trust, and five generations navigating work together, that gap between what you promise and what people actually experience matters more than ever. We also get into something I believe deeply: AI can help us move faster, find patterns, and make sense of enormous amounts of information. But AI still needs humans to answer the harder questions: Is this true?Is this good?Is this who we actually are? Because the goal shouldn’t be to create an employer brand that attracts everyone. Sometimes the most honest employer brand should actually repel the people who aren't a fit. Bryan and I dig into trust, accountability, professional standards in employer branding, AI and human judgment, multigenerational workplaces, and why what people do often tells us far more than what they say. But the idea I keep coming back to is this: You can't market your way out of an experience problem. If the promise and the reality don't match, eventually people will know. And trust me—they'll tell everyone else too. What you'll learn: Why employer brand is an organizational responsibility The difference between ownership and accountability How disconnected experiences create a trust gap Why employer branding needs professional standards What more than 200 job titles reveal about the field How honest messaging can improve talent fit Why organizations should not be afraid to repel the wrong candidates Where AI adds value and where human judgment remains essential How to use employee and candidate data to identify patterns Why employer brand should connect to broader business priorities How to approach a multigenerational workforce without broad assumptions Why people's actions can reveal more than their words | Connect with Us | Follow Bryan Chaney:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/talentbrand/Company Page: https://www.linkedin.com/company/people-brand-collective/home/Website: People Brand Collective | Professional Association | People Brand CollectiveInstagram: People Brand Collective (@peoplebrandcollective) • Instagram profile (Bryan Chaney is an employer brand and people experience leader and the founder of People Brand Collective, a professional association focused on employer branding, recruitment marketing, internal communications, and the broader employee experience. With experience across organizations including IBM, Indeed, and Crunchyroll, Bryan has spent his career exploring how organizations communicate, build trust, and create experiences that shape how people connect with work. He is focused on building greater structure, credibility, and professional rigor around the people brand field.) Follow Inside the C-Suite:Subscribe on Spotify: Inside the C-SuiteSubscribe on Apple Podcasts: Inside the C-Suite Follow Christy Honeycutt: Website: https://www.christyhoneycutt.comLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/christyhoneycutt/Instagram: Christy Honeycutt (@christyhoneycutt) • Instagram profileFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/christyhoneycuttTikTok: Christy Honeycutt on TikTokBuy the Book: The Inner Work of Leading in a Broken System Want to be on the show or know someone who would be a great guest? Podcast Nomination Form: Inside the C-Suite | Christy Honeycutt

September 23, 202635 min

The Future of Work Needs More Troublemakers, Shelley Zalis on AI, Agency & Changing Broken Systems | EP94

What happens when the rules we’ve been taught to follow no longer work? In this episode of Inside the C-Suite, Christy Honeycutt sits down with Shelley Zalis, CEO of The Female Quotient and self-described “Chief Troublemaker,” for a candid conversation about challenging outdated systems, reclaiming agency, and leading differently in a world being rapidly reshaped by AI. Shelley’s career has been built on questioning the status quo. From receiving a performance review that criticized the very qualities that would later fuel her success, to building and selling OTX and ultimately creating The Female Quotient, she shares what happens when you stop allowing someone else’s definition of “right” to determine your path. The conversation also tackles one of leadership’s biggest questions: What happens to humanity as AI changes the way we work? Shelley sees AI not simply as a threat to jobs, but as a tool that can create more space for distinctly human capabilities—curiosity, creativity, empathy, judgment, and connection. The challenge for leaders isn’t just adopting the technology. It’s intentionally deciding what humans should do with the capacity it creates. And changing broken systems isn’t something one leader can do alone. Shelley calls it the “power of the pack”—the collective momentum created when people, leaders, and organizations come together to challenge rules that no longer serve them and build something better in their place. At the heart of the conversation is agency: knowing your value, understanding your strengths, getting comfortable with discomfort, and recognizing when following the expected path is actually taking you further away from who you are. Because sometimes leadership isn’t about learning how to succeed within the system. It’s having the courage to change the system itself. What you’ll learn: Why broken systems—not broken people—need to be examined How leaders can challenge status quo thinking Why collective action creates sustainable change How AI can amplify human capability The leadership value of self-awareness Why confidence begins with knowing your strengths How difficult feedback can shape a career When risk becomes a catalyst for growth Why emotion and empathy belong in leadership How agency strengthens organizational culture Why multigenerational teams require greater curiosity What it means to create workplaces where people can thrive | Connect with Us | Follow Shelley Zalis:LinkedIn – Shelley ZalisInstagram – @‌shelleyzalis @femalequotientWebsite – The Female Quotient (Shelley Zalis is the CEO, Founder, and “Chief Troublemaker” of The Female Quotient, a global platform dedicated to advancing equality and creating workplaces that work for everyone. A pioneer in online market research, she founded OTX and later sold the company to Ipsos. Today, she focuses her leadership and influence on changing workplace systems through collaboration, inclusion, and collective action.) Follow Inside the C-Suite:Subscribe on Spotify: Inside the C-SuiteSubscribe on Apple Podcasts: Inside the C-Suite Follow Christy Honeycutt: Website: https://www.christyhoneycutt.comLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/christyhoneycutt/Instagram: Christy Honeycutt (@christyhoneycutt) • Instagram profileFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/christyhoneycuttTikTok: Christy Honeycutt on TikTokBuy the Book: The Inner Work of Leading in a Broken System Want to be on the show or know someone who would be a great guest? Podcast Nomination Form: Inside the C-Suite | Christy Honeycutt

September 15, 202638 min

Rethinking What Works: AI, Culture, and the Future of People Leadership | EP93

In this episode of Inside the C-Suite, Christy Honeycutt sits down with Joelle Emerson, Co-Founder and CEO of Surface, to explore how leaders can rethink systems that are “working” before they become outdated. Joelle shares her journey from civil rights lawyer to people-technology leader, including Surface’s bold decision to move from its existing software to an entirely AI-native platform. She discusses navigating uncertainty, challenging assumptions, and changing the story customers and employees already associate with a company. The conversation also explores how AI is reshaping HR and people leadership. As technology takes on more operational work, HR has an opportunity to become a stronger strategic partner—using data, judgment, and AI to focus on higher-value decisions while preserving the human elements of leadership. Joelle and Christy ultimately examine what this means for culture, accountability, and the future of work—and why the most important transformation may be the willingness to stop protecting what worked yesterday and build for what comes next. What you’ll learn: Why leaders resist change when things are still working How to recognize when “good enough” is no longer enough Why motivation can drive organizational change more effectively than fear The leadership challenge of changing an established market perception Why adaptability is becoming a critical organizational capability How HR can move from data reporting to business intelligence Why functional leaders need greater ownership of AI adoption How to distinguish enterprise AI infrastructure from functional AI solutions Why human accountability remains essential in an AI-enabled workplace How AI can create more space for high-leverage, creative work Why culture is defined by behavior, rewards, and accountability—not slogans What it means to rebuild a function from first principles | Connect with Us | Follow Joelle Emerson: LinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/in/joelle-emerson-4a24225/Website – Surface: The AI People Intelligence Platform for HR TeamsPodcast – Below the Surface: How the best people leaders build high-performing teams (Joelle Emerson is Co-Founder and CEO of Surface, an AI-native people intelligence platform built from more than a decade of work in talent, culture, and people analytics. She began her career as a civil rights lawyer focused on employment litigation before shifting her focus toward helping organizations build cultures that create the conditions for performance. At Surface, she combines research, behavioral science, people data, and AI to help organizations make better decisions about their people and work.) Follow Inside the C-Suite: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/christyhoneycutt/Subscribe on Spotify: Inside the C-SuiteSubscribe on Apple Podcasts: Inside the C-Suite Follow Christy Honeycutt: Website: https://www.christyhoneycutt.comLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/christyhoneycutt/Instagram: Christy Honeycutt (@christyhoneycutt) • Instagram profileFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/christyhoneycuttTikTok: Christy Honeycutt on TikTokBook: The Inner Work of Leading in a Broken System Want to be on the show or know someone who would be a great guest? Podcast Nomination Form: Inside the C-Suite | Christy Honeycutt

September 12, 202633 min

The Locker Room Lessons Every CEO Needs | EP92

Some of the most important lessons we carry into the C-suite aren’t learned in a boardroom, they’re learned in the moments when the plan falls apart. Mike Morini knows something about that. Before becoming CEO of PlanSource and building a 30-year career in software, Mike pursued a very different dream: professional football. He made it to the Buffalo Bills. Then he got cut. He spent a year on the New Jersey Generals practice squad before eventually finding himself on an entirely different field—at IBM. What could have simply been a story about failure became the foundation for how Mike thinks about leadership, teams, culture and accountability today. And that’s what made this conversation so meaningful to me, because leadership rarely follows the path we imagined. Sometimes the role you wanted isn’t the role the team needs you to play. Sometimes the setback becomes a lesson. And sometimes the greatest leadership growth happens when we’re willing to put our ego aside, listen, adjust and ask: What does this team need from me now? In this episode of Inside the C-Suite, Mike and I talk about what it actually takes to build an elite team—not just a group of talented individuals. For Mike, it starts with three C’s: Culture. Customers. Community. But there was another concept that really stayed with me: Your “say-do ratio.” Do you do what you said you were going to do? It sounds simple. At the executive level, it’s everything. Trust is built when leaders consistently close the gap between their commitments and their actions. When they listen to customers—and respond. When they give people clarity—and the authority to act on it. When they hold themselves to the same standards they expect from everyone else. And when something isn’t working, they have enough humility to change the play. Mike talks about becoming the CEO of your role—taking ownership of your contribution regardless of where your name sits on the org chart. I love that, because leadership has never been reserved for the person with the biggest title. It’s about understanding your role, owning your impact and making the people around you better. Maybe that’s the ultimate locker room lesson: Talent might get you on the field.Performance might keep you there.But character determines the kind of leader people want beside them when the game is on the line. Mike, thank you for such a thoughtful conversation—and for reminding us that sometimes the moments that don't go according to plan become the experiences that shape us most. If you lead a company, a team—or simply want to lead yourself better—this conversation is worth your time. What you'll learn: How failure can reshape leadership Why culture should come before performance The three C's: culture, customers, and community How to identify true team players Why accountability begins with leaders The importance of a strong "say-do ratio" How clarity helps leaders perform under pressure Why authority must come with responsibility What it means to be the CEO of your role How AI and remote work are changing leadership Why emotional intelligence still matters How community can become part of leadership | Connect With Us | Follow Mike Morini: LinkedIn – ⁠⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/mikemorini/⁠⁠ Company – ⁠⁠https://www.linkedin.com/company/plansource/⁠⁠ Website – ⁠⁠Benefits Administration Software for HR Teams⁠⁠ (Mike Morini is the CEO of PlanSource and a 30-year software veteran with extensive experience growing and scaling enterprise software companies. His leadership philosophy centers on building high-performing teams, putting customers first, and creating cultures where people have the clarity and accountability to perform. At PlanSource, he focuses on transforming the business through customer insight, strong teams, and disciplined execution.) Follow Inside the C-Suite: Subscribe on Spotify: ⁠⁠Inside the C-Suite⁠⁠ Subscribe on Apple Podcasts: ⁠⁠Inside the C-Suite⁠⁠ Follow Christy Honeycutt: Website: ⁠⁠https://www.christyhoneycutt.com⁠⁠ LinkedIn: ⁠⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/christyhoneycutt/⁠⁠ Instagram: ⁠⁠Christy Honeycutt (@christyhoneycutt) • Instagram profile⁠⁠ Facebook: ⁠⁠https://www.facebook.com/christyhoneycutt⁠⁠ TikTok: ⁠⁠Christy Honeycutt on TikTok⁠⁠ Book: ⁠⁠The Inner Work of Leading in a Broken System⁠⁠ Want to be on the show or know someone who would be a great guest? Podcast Nomination Form: ⁠⁠Inside the C-Suite | Christy Honeycutt⁠

August 31, 202641 min

The Power of Being Different: Building an Employer Brand People Choose | EP91

If your employer brand sounds like everyone else's, why would the best talent choose you? Purpose. Growth. Culture. Innovation. Impact. Great words. Until every company is saying them. On this episode of Inside the C-Suite, Christy Honeycutt sits down with James Ellis, employer brand strategist, founder of Employer Brand Labs, and author of Becoming Choosable to talk about employer brand through a much bigger lens: business strategy, competitive advantage, and executive decision-making. Because employer brand isn't just an HR or marketing initiative. It influences who you attract, who stays, what talent costs you, and ultimately, your organization's ability to execute. And the answer isn't becoming more attractive to everyone. It's getting crystal clear about who you are, what you stand for, what the experience actually feels like—and who will thrive there. James and I unpack why differentiation requires leaders to be willing to tell the truth about their organization, including the trade-offs. We also get into Gen Z, AI, changing career expectations, and the reality that companies aren't just competing against other employers anymore. They're competing against entrepreneurship, flexibility, portfolio careers, and entirely different definitions of success. That's an executive conversation. Because in a changing talent market, your employer brand isn't simply what you say on your careers page. It's the evidence of the organization you've actually built. The goal isn't to convince everyone to choose you. It's to build something differentiated enough that the right people know exactly why they should. What you'll learn: Why employer brand belongs on the executive agenda How employer brand impacts growth and business performance Why generic messaging makes organizations invisible Why trying to appeal to everyone weakens your talent strategy How workplace trade-offs can actually strengthen your brand Why employee experience is the evidence behind your employer brand How differentiation helps attract talent that isn't actively looking How Gen Z and AI are changing the way people discover and evaluate employers Why expectation-setting impacts attraction, retention, and performance How leaders can apply differentiation to their own executive brand and career | Connect with Us | Follow James Ellis:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/thewarfortalent/Website: Employer Brand Labs | The Hiring Advantage BlueprintCompany: https://www.linkedin.com/company/employerbrandlabs/ (James Ellis is an employer branding strategist, author, speaker, and founder of Employer Brand Labs. For more than a decade, he has focused on helping organizations understand what makes them different and communicate that difference more clearly to the people they want to attract. His work centers on employer branding, talent strategy, and creating stronger connections between organizations and the people who choose to work for them.) Follow Inside the C-Suite:Subscribe on Spotify: Inside the C-SuiteSubscribe on Apple Podcasts: Inside the C-Suite Follow Christy Honeycutt: Website: https://www.christyhoneycutt.comLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/christyhoneycutt/Instagram: Christy Honeycutt (@christyhoneycutt) • Instagram profileFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/christyhoneycuttTikTok: Christy Honeycutt on TikTokBook: The Inner Work of Leading in a Broken System Want to be on the show or know someone who would be a great guest? Podcast Nomination Form – Inside the C-Suite | Christy Honeycutt