In the last episode of 2025, Gina & Turiya reflect on 2025 and share what's on the horizon for HR unConfidential in 2026.

Spoiler alert: we'll hit the amazing milestone of our 100th episode in August 2026 and are planning an in-person celebration in the Chicago area.

Please let us know your episode ideas for 2026. We'd also love to know if you'd be excited to attend and hang out with us at a 100th episode celebration next year.

Check out Gina's business website: HR Imprints

Check out Turiya's recent article about our upcoming 100th episode.

Be sure to leave us a review and rating wherever you listen to your podcasts. Also, connect with us via our LinkedIn group or email at info@hrunconfidential.com.

In this very special episode of HR unConfidential, Gina and Turiya sit down in person at a studio in Chicago for an intimate conversation about their recent career trajectory. This informative, sometimes humorous and sometimes rather vulnerable chat offers an insight into what happens when seasoned HR professionals find themselves Open to Work for longer than expected, and how they have been best managing their time in the interim. You won't want to miss this special episode of our podcast. Thank you to all of our listeners.

Please share with us!
Facebook - @HRunConfidential
LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/groups/12099710/
Email - info@hrunconfidential.com

Facts & figures inform but stories inspire. In this episode, we chat with Jill Pollack, Chief Story Wrangler and founder of StoryStudio Chicago Words for Work, about why storytelling might be HR's most powerful and untapped skill. If you've ever struggled to get others to really understand your message or wondered why your beautifully written HR strategy deck just didn't land, this one's for you.

StoryStudio Chicago Word for Work

Click here to check out the classes Jill referenced in the episode

Be sure to leave us a review and rating wherever you listen to your podcasts. Also, connect with us via our LinkedIn group or email at info@hrunconfidential.com.

In this follow-up to our Private Equity 101 episode, we're joined by Sarah Purlee, Head of HR at S&S Truck Parts, to explore what it's really like to lead HR inside a PE-backed company. We dig into how HR creates value in private equity, what makes the environment unique, and what HR pros should know if they're working in — or curious about — the PE space.

Be sure to leave us a review and rating wherever you listen to your podcasts. Also, connect with us via our LinkedIn group or email at info@hrunconfidential.com.

AI is moving fast and we can't afford to sit on the sidelines, especially in HR. In this episode, we're joined by Malvika Jethmalani, founder of Women Shaping AI, for a real talk on the ethical use of AI, how HR can be front & center of the integration of AI into the workplace, and what it means for jobs, skills, and the human side of work. We also discuss the urgency of ensuring women don't continue to be left behind in the AI revolution.

Atvis Group (Malvika's Human Capital Consulting firm)

Women Shaping AI

Book recommendation: Invisible Women: Data Bias in a World Designed for Men

Be sure to leave us a review and rating wherever you listen to your podcasts. Also, connect with us via our LinkedIn group or email at info@hrunconfidential.com.

HR can be a lonely job — but it doesn't have to be. In this episode, we're joined by Tim Schumm and Amy Dordek Dolinsky, co-founders of The People Collective (TPC), a growing community for senior HR professionals. We talk about the importance of connection in the HR world, what it takes to build and sustain a meaningful community, and how spaces like TPC are helping leaders learn, grow, and support one another. Whether you're looking to join a community or build one yourself, this episode is full of insights and inspiration.

Be sure to leave us a review and rating wherever you listen to your podcasts. Also, connect with us via our LinkedIn group or email at info@hrunconfidential.com.

Private equity... it's a phrase we hear a lot these days, but what does it really mean? Gina & Turiya are joined by Gregg Kaplan, CEO of Dentologie and founder/former CEO of Redbox to break it down. Listen as we define private equity and discuss key differences & similarities between private equity and other types of companies in areas like business strategy & goals, measures of success, and leadership attributes.

Be sure to leave us a review and rating wherever you listen to your podcasts. Also, connect with us via our LinkedIn group or email at info@hrunconfidential.com.

Organizations are facing increasing risks of workplace violence, information security threats, and other factors that can destabilize their business as well as create safety concerns for employees. In this episode Gina & Turiya rejoined by security expert, Ken Wheatley, Founder & Principal Advisors of Royal Security Group, LLC, to discuss the steps companies can take to de-risk their business.

Listen in as they discuss recent trends and the risks they create for organizations, the role of leaders and HR professionals in proactively identifying risks and preparing their organizations to respond, and where companies can start to take the first steps in de-risking their business.

Contact Ken - Royal Security Group Website

Book referenced in episode - The Gift of Fear by Gavin De Becker

Be sure to leave us a review and rating wherever you listen to your podcasts. Also, connect with us via our LinkedIn group or email at info@hrunconfidential.com.