The Simplifiers Podcast

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616

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Nov 2026

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About the show

The Simplifiers Podcast with Mary Baird helps HR leaders and people managers improve employee experience, strengthen workplace culture, and lead through change. Get simple, practical leadership strategies, responsible AI for HR insights, and simple steps that drive better business results.

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60 recent

November 10, 202648 min

440: How to rebuild company culture after a massive layoff - with Daniel Stokes (ALL-STAR)

Raise your hand if you've been through a layoff. Keep your hand raised if you kept your job through it and are faced with the reality of attempting to rebuild the company culture after a massive layoff. You are what people call a "survivor" and my goodness, that's a lot of pressure on your shoulders to help the organization recover, eh? My all-star special guest today is culture lead and event planner, Daniel Stokes and he's simplifying how to rebuild company culture after a massive layoff. Both Daniel and I have recently been through a layoff at a large organization and we come to the table with practical advice that you can begin to implement at your own company immediately. Here's how. My all-star special guest today is Daniel Stokes and he's simplifying how to rebuild company culture after a massive layoff. We tackle and simplify all aspects of it, including: What the very first step is that your HR or People & Culture team must take immediately after a layoff has been announced at your organization. Why he believes that "culture repair is everyone's job," and not just the responsibility of HR. Let's face it - Trust is lost after a layoff… He talks about the ways that managers and senior leadership can work together to rebuild that trust with their workforce, one conversation at a time. One major mistake that organizations tend to make after announcing a layoff that is a massive blunder. How to create a safe space for employee listening (through forums, surveys, town halls), where employee feedback can be captured and then actioned upon. …and ultimately, we implore everyone listening to this to consider one simple idea: instead of cutting People & Culture budgets after a layoff, what a better solution would be to improve employee engagement and rebuild company pride. Q: Are you ready to learn how to rebuild your company's culture after a layoff? If yes, this one is for you. It's time to #DoTheThing! ---- Show notes available with all links mentioned: https://www.thesimplifiers.com/posts/440-how-to-rebuild-company-culture-after-a-massive-layoff---with-daniel-stokes-all-star

November 3, 202614 min

B175: How to find calm in uncertain times (guided visualization)

Time for a guided visualization exercise: how to find calm in uncertain times. Here in the United States, election season can bring a lot to the surface. Hope. Fear. Frustration. And some difficult conversations with people you care about. So, if you're craving a little steadiness… if you've been checking your phone, bracing for the next headline, or wondering what happens next… today's episode is for you. And so… to kick off the month, today is another guided visualization episode, which we release on the first Tuesday of every month this season. So, how does it work? Simple! Let my voice be a guide for you as you focus inward to help you tap into your inner wisdom and Intuition for answers. Listen and participate in this guided visualization exercise: How to find calm in uncertain times. Show notes available with all links mentioned here: https://www.thesimplifiers.com/posts/b175-how-to-find-calm-in-uncertain-times-guided-visualization

October 27, 202650 min

439: How to get hired when you're over 40 - with Maureen Wiley Clough

Here's the conundrum: Early in your career, you needed more experience. Now you've got it... and suddenly, you're wondering whether you've got too much. (UGH.) You're ready to contribute. But instead of talking about what you can do, you're debating which years to leave off your resume. When did the experience you worked so hard to build become something you felt you had to hide? My special guest today is Maureen Wiley Clough, and she's simplifying how to get hired when you're over 40. Maureen is the host of It Gets Late Early, a podcast exploring the issues facing mid-career workers, including ageism. She's also experienced a layoff herself. We explore how age bias can show up in a job search, especially for women, and what to consider if you suspect it's happened to you. We talk about "Botoxing" your resume and showing the value of your experience through your LinkedIn profile and a portfolio of accomplishments. And we look at how to put your network to work, weigh fractional opportunities against a full-time role, and build more options for yourself. Because doing great work doesn't guarantee you'll be protected from a layoff. But you can take steps to give yourself more choices about what comes next. Here's how we simplify getting hired when you're over 40: Recognize age bias. What ageism means, how it can show up during a job search, and why women's experiences deserve particular attention. Consider your next steps. What to do if you suspect ageism influenced a layoff or hiring decision, and why it can be difficult to prove. Show the relevance of your experience. What Maureen means by "Botoxing" your resume and where your LinkedIn profile and portfolio of accomplishments fit in. Put your relationships to work. How to turn your network into conversations, referrals, and opportunities, even when asking for help feels uncomfortable. Build more options. How to weigh fractional work against a full-time role while staying hopeful and realistic about what comes next. Whether you're actively applying, recovering from a layoff, or thinking ahead, this conversation is an invitation to recognize what you bring to the table and explore more ways to put it to work. Show notes available with all links mentioned here:https://www.thesimplifiers.com/posts/439-how-to-get-hired-when-youre-over-40---with-maureen-wiley-clough

October 20, 202647 min

438: How to turn your accent into an asset - with Nammy Sirur

Have you ever shared an idea at work, only to wonder if people were hearing your accent more than what you were actually saying? Maybe you've been asked to repeat yourself. Or you've felt pressure to change the way you speak so you'll sound like everyone else in the room. Over time, that can shake your confidence and leave you feeling like an outsider. But what if your accent isn't something you need to erase? What if it's part of the perspective, experience, and identity that makes your voice valuable? My special guest today is communication strategist Nammy Sirur, and she's simplifying how to turn your accent into an asset. We'll talk about how accent bias shapes our ideas about credibility and belonging, and what it means to modulate your accent instead of changing it. Nammy will also share practical ways to adjust your pace, pronunciation, and emphasis while staying true to yourself. Okay, it's time to dive into today's conversation with Nammy Sirur as she simplifies how to turn your accent into an asset. We tackle and simplify all aspects of it, including: How to rebuild your confidence when people seem to hear your accent before they hear your ideas What accent bias reveals about credibility and belonging in American workplaces Why some accents are viewed as prestigious while others are treated as barriers The difference between modulating your accent and trying to erase it How adjustments to pace, pronunciation, and emphasis can improve understanding How cultural upbringing can affect self-promotion and workplace communication How to navigate unfamiliar workplace expectations while staying true to yourself What leaders can do to help people listen beyond an accent and create greater belonging Show notes available with all links mentioned here:https://www.thesimplifiers.com/posts/438-how-to-turn-your-accent-into-an-asset---with-nammy-sirur

October 13, 202645 min

437: How to lead yourself before leading others - with Riunita Martin

Picture this: You get promoted. Suddenly, you're responsible for a team. The decisions come faster. The expectations get bigger. And people want answers... even when you're still figuring things out yourself. You might not have received much training on how to lead people. But before you look for a quick fix, my guest today says there's another question that deserves your attention: Who are you becoming as a leader? You say you value honesty, but what happens when telling the truth might upset your boss? You want your team to speak up, but how do you respond when someone challenges you? Those moments tell people whether they can trust you. My special guest today is Riunita Martin, and she's simplifying how to lead yourself before leading others. Her book, Build the Leader. Transform the Trajectory., challenges "the leadership lie." The belief that becoming a better leader is simply about acquiring more skills, knowledge, or frameworks. Because pressure doesn't create character. It reveals it. Becoming a leader people trust starts with taking a good, honest look at yourself first. Here's how we simplify leading yourself before leading others: Start with who you're becoming. Why leadership development needs to go deeper than learning another skill or framework. Define what you stand for. How to clarify your identity, core values, and non-negotiable standards... and what conviction looks like when those standards are tested. Look at your values in practice. What moral leadership means and how to recognize when organizational pressure is pulling you away from your principles. Uncover your blind spots. How to use assessments and reflection exercises to examine the gap between the leader you intend to be and how you're actually showing up. Turn awareness into action. What a practical growth plan should include to help you make real, sustainable changes. Whether you've just stepped into management or have been leading people for years, this conversation invites you to consider a deeper question: Are your everyday decisions building the trust you want your team to have in you? Show notes available with all links mentioned here: https://www.thesimplifiers.com/posts/437-how-to-lead-yourself-before-leading-others---with-riunita-martin

October 6, 202613 min

B174: How to calm your nerves (ALL-STAR - guided visualization)

Time for a guided visualization exercise: How to calm your nerves, especially if you're about to do something big in life. Maybe you're about to take the stage and deliver a presentation… or maybe you've got to have a crucial conversation and want to get your point across calm, cool, collected and confident. I mean, there are so many times our emotions and anxiety get the best of us, so how do you get yourself centered? It has everything to do with your central nervous system and today's episode is especially good to listen to 20-30 minutes before that big moment happens. So, how does it work? Simple! Let my voice be a guide for you as you focus inward to help you tap into your inner wisdom and Intuition for answers. Listen and participate in this all-star guided visualization exercise: How to calm your nerves. You can do this, I believe in you. It's time to SIMPLIFY. Show notes available with all links mentioned here: https://www.thesimplifiers.com/posts/b174-how-to-calm-your-nerves-all-star---guided-visualization

September 29, 202644 min

436: How to develop future-ready leaders - with Dr Kevin Fleming

What's the old career advice you'd get? Choose a path. Work hard. Move up. Stay there. But for the next generation of leaders, my special guest today thinks that careers may look less like climbing a ladder and more like rock climbing... moving sideways, changing direction, and finding a new route when the old one no longer works. AI is changing jobs. Career paths are becoming less predictable. And the skills that helped someone land their first role may not be the same skills they'll need five years from now. So, how do we prepare emerging leaders for a future that none of us can fully predict? My special guest today is educational futurist Dr. Kevin Fleming, and he's simplifying how to develop future-ready leaders. We'll talk about why identity clarity, transferable skills, and real-world experience matter more than ever. We'll also explore which human skills will remain valuable as AI reshapes work, and how organizations can use work-based learning and two-way mentorship to help emerging talent grow. Okay, it's time to dive into today's conversation with Dr. Kevin Fleming as he simplifies how to develop future-ready leaders. We tackle and simplify all aspects of it, including: Why the traditional career ladder is giving way to more flexible, nonlinear career paths How AI is reshaping jobs and the skills emerging leaders will need Why identity clarity begins with understanding your strengths and values Which high-trust and high-touch human skills will remain valuable Why real-world experience can matter more than grades or school prestige How internships, co-ops, part-time work, entrepreneurship, and volunteering build transferable skills How organizations can use two-way mentorship to help different generations learn from each other What leaders can do now to prepare emerging talent for careers that will continue to change Show notes available with all links mentioned here:https://www.thesimplifiers.com/posts/436-how-to-develop-future-ready-leaders---with-dr-kevin-fleming

September 22, 202649 min

435: How to stop chasing & start creating at work - with Justin Jones-Fosu

You can be dependable, hardworking, and successful at what you do… and still feel unseen. You keep delivering. Keep saying yes. Keep chasing the next goal, the next bit of recognition, or the next sign that your work matters. But when does meaningful work become chasing approval? And what does that cost you as a leader? My special guest today is Justin Jones-Fosu and he's simplifying how to stop chasing & start creating at work. We'll talk about why managers shape the meaning people find in their work, often more than the organization's mission. Justin will also share how to apply his Create Meaning Cycle of Choose, Commit, and Cultivate with your team. And if you're already stretched thin and thinking, "I cannot add one more thing," we'll explore the small shifts you can make to create more meaning in the work your team is already doing. The Create Meaning Cycle: Choose: Take ownership of how you lead and the meaning you create with your team. Commit: Build consistency through small, intentional habits that help people feel seen. Cultivate: Regularly reflect on what's working, what isn't, and what needs to change. Because creating more meaning at work doesn't require another big initiative. It starts with how you recognize people, connect their work to its impact, and protect the meaningful work that may not deliver an immediate, visible result. Show notes available with all links mentioned here:https://www.thesimplifiers.com/posts/435-how-to-stop-chasing-start-creating-at-work---with-justin-jones-fosu

September 15, 202644 min

434: How to future-proof HR in the age of AI - with Amy Dufrane

HR leaders are being asked to help everyone navigate AI at work. But many are still figuring out what it means for their own roles. How do you guide an organization through a change you haven't been trained for yourself? And what happens to the future talent pipeline if the work that once helped people start their careers begins to change? My special guest today is Amy Dufrane, CEO of HRCI, and she's simplifying how to future-proof HR in the age of AI. We'll talk about why HR professionals feel vulnerable, what leaders need to learn now, and why job design and succession planning can't wait. We'll also explore the part each of us plays in staying relevant as work changes. We tackle and simplify all aspects of it, including: Why HR professionals can feel responsible for guiding AI adoption while still asking what it means for their own jobs. What changing opportunities for early-career workers could mean for the future leadership pipeline. Why HR needs to pay attention to organizational design, job design, and succession planning now. How managers can help people feel more comfortable learning and working with AI. Why each of us has a responsibility to keep developing our skills as work changes. If you work in HR and have been wondering where to begin, this conversation is for you. Show notes available with all links mentioned here: https://www.thesimplifiers.com/posts/434-how-to-future-proof-hr-in-the-age-of-ai---with-amy-dufrane

September 8, 202647 min

433: How to be a compelling storyteller at work - with Eric Harris

What makes a compelling storyteller at work? Someone who's an excellent communicator, warm, captivating, and understands the value of being clear and concise. But what if there's more at play here than what meets the eye? My special guest today is author Eric Harris and he's simplifying how to be a compelling storyteller at work. If you've got a big presentation soon and really need to effectively get your point across, this one is for you! The Campfire Method: Know your audience Craft your story Know yourself Leverage your environment ---- Show notes available with all links mentioned here: https://www.thesimplifiers.com/posts/433-how-to-be-a-compelling-storyteller-at-work---with-eric-harris