🎙️ HR Unplugged Real Talk with Ken & Co. – EP15 "Leading Through Loss: How to Show Up When Tragedy Hits" 💬💔

This week, Ken opens his heart in a powerful solo episode that hits close to home. In the wake of devastating floods in Central Texas, he explores what it truly means to lead with empathy when employees, coworkers, or entire communities are grieving.

With personal stories, lessons from his own recovery journey, and practical guidance for both teammates and HR leaders, Ken reminds us that presence—not pressure—is the first step to support.

💡 What you’ll hear:

• How to be there when words fall short
• Why silence can feel like abandonment
• What not to say to someone in pain
• How leaders can prepare before tragedy strikes
• The story of a quiet act of kindness Ken will never forget
• Practical tools for HR teams: grief support, EAPs, reentry plans & more

✨ “You can’t fix grief—but you can sit in it with someone.”

If this episode speaks to you or someone you know, share it. Let’s build workplaces where care is more than policy—it’s personal.

#HRUnplugged #RealTalkWithKen #EmpathyInLeadership #GriefSupportAtWork #HumanFirstHR #MentalHealth #WorkplaceWellness #PresenceOverPressure #TeamCulture

🎙️ HR Unplugged Real Talk with Ken & Co. – EP14 "The Change Starts with You" 🔥🧠💬

This week, Ken sits down with the one and only Ari Medrano — transformational leader, advocate, and living proof that real change starts from the inside out.

From working with gang-impacted youth in L.A. to leading teams in corporate America, Ari brings unmatched energy, insight, and truth to the conversation. Together, she and Ken explore the voices in our heads, the power of reframing our story, and why authenticity without intention can do more harm than good.

💡 What you’ll hear:

• Why you can’t pour into others until you’ve healed yourself
• What it means to “fail forward” and own your story
• The difference between being authentic and being intentional
• How to coach change in yourself before leading it in others
• Ari’s jaw-dropping personal story: from wheelchair to dance floor in 21 days 🩰🔥

✨ “If I can do that with faith, focus, and action—what could you not do?”

📲 Follow Ari, share your favorite moment in the comments, and don’t forget to like, subscribe, and tap the bell 🔔 so you never miss a real conversation that actually matters.

#HRUnplugged #RealTalkWithKen #TransformationalLeadership #AriMedrano #HealingInLeadership #FailForward #AuthenticityWithPurpose #LeadByExample #GritAndGrace

🎙️ HR Unplugged Real Talk with Ken & Co. – EP13 "Transformational Change Where Passion Meets Purpose: Carla’s Journey" 🌟🩰💬

She’s back! This week, Ken reconnects with Carla Eugenia Treviño — ballerina, educator, and changemaker — to talk about her bold shift from center stage to center purpose.

In this intimate follow-up conversation, Carla shares how she left the performance spotlight to create space for kids with disabilities to move, dance, and thrive. From her first student who couldn’t see to the small community that sought her out, Carla’s journey is a powerful reminder that real impact doesn’t always come with applause — sometimes it starts with one quiet yes. 🙌

💡 What you’ll hear:

• How Carla redefined success through service, not status
• The moment she realized she was made for more than performance
• What it really means to listen to your gut (and God)
• Her advice to anyone facing a scary but necessary change
• Why being scared is sometimes the proof you’re on the right path

📲 Follow Carla on IG at @‌carlaeugenia1 👍 Like, 💬 comment, and 🔔 subscribe to catch more bold, honest episodes every week.

#HRUnplugged #RealTalkWithKen #CarlaEugenia #TransformationalChange #PurposeDriven #DisabilityInclusion #LeadershipWithHeart #BallerinaToChangemaker #ListenToYourWhy #AnxietyIsChange

🎙️ HR Unplugged Real Talk with Ken & Co. – EP12 "Change Needs Room to Grow" 🌱💼

This week, Ken is recording from his hometown of St. Louis and reflecting on what it really takes to make lasting change—not just in business, but in life.

From a story about a ballerina-turned-changemaker (👀 Carla’s back next week!) to advice for struggling business owners, Ken breaks down why change doesn’t happen in a vacuum… it happens in an environment built for it.

💡 What you’ll hear:

• How to create an environment that supports change
• Why incremental pivots often matter more than massive overhauls
• A powerful reflection on purpose, clarity & culture
• What it means to really hear your team
• The surprising HR takeaway from a simple coffee shop moment ☕️
• And why your “why” is more than just a buzzword—it’s your anchor

📌 Change takes space. Change takes support. And most of all, it takes intention. 👍 Like, 💬 comment, and 🔔 subscribe to keep the Real Talk going.

#HRUnplugged #RealTalkWithKen #LeadingChange #WorkplaceCulture #BusinessPivot #PersonalGrowth #HRLeadership #PurposeDrivenWork

🎙️ HR Unplugged Real Talk with Ken & Co. – EP11 "Change Is Hard—But Staying the Same Is Harder" 🔄🍎💡

In this solo episode, Ken gets real about change—why we avoid it, how we push through it, and what actually makes it stick. Whether it's swapping cookies for apples or rethinking your hiring process (yes, even when your welder gets lost at sea 🛶😅), this is a bold, funny, and practical guide to leveling up.

Using his PCPAM method (Pre-contemplation, Contemplation, Preparation, Action, Maintenance), Ken shares stories that hit close to home—from personal health to HR transformations at companies like Adobe—to show that sustainable change is possible, but it starts with honest reflection.

💡 What you’ll hear:

• Why “same old song and dance” won’t get you far 🎸
• The 5 real stages of change (and where most people stall)
• Lessons from Adobe’s HR evolution
• A wild story about a welder and the Coast Guard 🛥️
• How one sentence from a professor changed Ken’s whole life 🎙️

📢 Ready to make a change? Like, comment, and subscribe to keep the real talk going every week.

#hrunplugged #RealTalkWithKen #organizationalchange #PCPAM #leadership #workplaceculture #AdobeHR #ChangeMindset #adobe #dallas #businessinnovation #digitaltransformation #BusinessChange #changeleadership #innovation #disruptthenorm #changemanagement #futureofwork #AgileChange #adaptandthrive #transformationtuesday

🎙️ HR Unplugged Real Talk with Ken & Co. – EP10 "Leading Remote with Trust, Not Timecards" 🏡📊🌐

This week, Ken is joined by Andrea Hrusovska, global HR consultant and founder of HR4U Solutions, for a wide‑ranging conversation on one of today’s hottest topics: remote work.

With 25+ years of experience across Central Europe and the U.S., Andrea brings a people-first lens to building remote teams that thrive. From setting expectations to flexible KPIs, she shares smart, grounded insights that go far beyond buzzwords.

💡 What you’ll hear:

• Why results > hours is the future of work
• The truth about remote productivity (hint: it’s higher)
• The real role of trust, feedback & culture in virtual teams
• How to manage expectations
• A powerful real-life story of leading with empathy that changed a career

Whether you’re remote, hybrid, or figuring it out—this is real talk you don’t want to miss.

📩 Connect with Andrea at: andrea@hr4usolutions.com 👍 Like, 💬 comment, and 🔔 subscribe for more honest, human conversations every week.

#HRUnplugged #RealTalkWithKen #RemoteWork #TrustAndLeadership #HRConsulting #HybridTeams #KPIsThatMatter #HR4USolutions #WorkLifeBalance

HR Unplugged Real Talk with Ken & Co. – EP09 "Ideal Team Players: What to Do When They’re Not Quite There (Yet)" 💼🧠

Ken’s back on the mic solo this week (yes, again — but just for today 😉) to take a deeper dive into one of his favorite topics: what happens when your team members are almost ideal… but not quite?

Inspired by Patrick Lencioni’s The Ideal Team Player, this episode breaks down the real-life personas we see at work — the lovable slacker, the accidental mess-maker, the skillful politician — and offers real, honest guidance on how to coach, redirect, and, when necessary, confront with clarity and care. 💬

💡 What you’ll hear:

• The three essential traits of an ideal team player: Humble, Hungry & Smart
• What to do when a teammate lacks just one (or two)
• How to coach the “gruff but good” and the “friendly but flaky”
• Why setting clear expectations and feedback matters more than ever
• A practical framework for navigating real behavioral change (PCPAM 🧩)

👉 Whether you're an HR leader, people manager, or teammate trying to create better culture — this one’s for you.

📥 Got thoughts or questions? Drop a comment or email Ken at kdb@egrabservices.com. 👍 Like, 💬 comment, and 🔔 subscribe — and don’t miss next week’s episode on managing remote work like a pro.

#HRUnplugged #RealTalkWithKen #IdealTeamPlayer #LeadershipDevelopment #PeopleStrategy #WorkplaceCulture #TeamBuilding #PatrickLencioni #HumbleHungrySmart

🎙️ HR Unplugged Real Talk with Ken & Co. – EP08 "Hungry to Lead: Grit, Growth with Dr. Jason Lovaas and Paulette Otto" 💼💪🧠

This week, we had double the guests and a few tech hiccups — but hey, that’s Real Talk! 😅

Ken sits down with Paulette and Dr. Jason Lovaas from The Joint Chiropractic to dive into what makes a truly hungry leader — the kind who shows up with grit, not ego, and leads by helping others thrive.

💡 What you’ll hear:

• How to spot hunger in interviews (and why competitiveness isn’t a bad word)
• The difference between being busy and being purpose-driven
• Why knowing your team’s why is key to long-term growth
• Real talk on motivation, burnout, and speaking up
• Plus… how chiropractic care ties into leadership (yes, really!) 🌀

🎧 Despite a few audio stumbles, this conversation brings the kind of insight and honesty you only get when the mics are hot and the mission is real.

👉 Learn more at www.thejoint.com 👍 Like, 💬 comment, and 🔔 subscribe for your weekly dose of Real Talk.

#HRUnplugged #RealTalkWithKen #Leadership #GritAndGrowth #IdealTeamPlayer #TheJointChiropractic #PurposeDrivenWork