In this episode, we’re talking about something every leader wrestles with — how to hire not just for talent, but for fit. Leaders are often tempted to prioritize skills over alignment, yet the long-term health of an organization depends on hiring people who embody its mission, vision, and values.

Join us in this episode of Encouragement for Work as Mark is joined by Vaughn Thurman, CEO of HighGear Software, a leader who has built his company around a set of core values that have come to define the organization and everything it does. Vaughn’s journey reminds us that hiring decisions do more than impact the bottom line — they shape culture, influence engagement, and define how work is experienced every day.

About Our Guest: Vaughn Thurman

Vaughn Thurman is a technology leader and entrepreneur passionate about building organizations where people thrive, and mission drives performance. As CEO of HighGear Software, Vaughn leads a team dedicated to helping organizations simplify complexity and work with greater purpose and clarity.

Throughout his career, Vaughn has emphasized values-based leadership, particularly the importance of hiring and developing people who align with an organization’s mission, vision, and values. His experience building and scaling teams and shaping cultures has reinforced a critical truth: mission-aligned hiring is essential to long-term success and healthy workplaces.

Vaughn brings practical insight to conversations at the intersection of leadership, culture, and performance, encouraging leaders to remain faithful to their mission while building strong, empowered teams. Vaughn’s leadership journey includes the unique experience of building two radically different companies, teams, and cultures under one roof and of observing and learning from the unexpected operational, financial, and relational impacts of having one team built on principles while the other was built on a top-candidate opportunistic hiring strategy. But most importantly, Vaughn is a follower of Christ and is not ashamed to share the message.

1. Hiring Against Your MVV — Why It Costs You More Than You Think

Hiring individuals who do not align with your mission, vision, and values can quietly erode culture, weaken engagement, and undermine long-term performance. Vaughn shares lessons from building HighGear — from early hiring decisions to scaling a values-driven organization — and how staying true to core values shaped the company’s identity and success.

You will learn: Hiring for culture and values isn’t a “nice to have” — it’s a strategic and sustainable business decision.

1. Leadership Lessons from a Mission-Driven CEO

Vaughn’s path — from the Air Force to serial entrepreneur to CEO — offers valuable insight into leading with integrity and purpose. He discusses how core values such as honesty, discipline, and commitment to service influence decision-making, recruitment, and team development, especially when leaders face pressure to compromise.

You will learn: Leading people well requires intentional value alignment, beginning with how and why you hire.

1. Building High-Performing Teams by Empowering People

Vaughn’s work with no-code workflow tools reflects a deeper leadership principle: equip people to do meaningful work. He explores how this mindset shapes recruitment, training, and culture-building — moving organizations beyond transactional hiring toward transformational development.

You will learn: Work becomes a place of growth when people are seen as contributors to purpose, not cogs in a machine.

Concerned about your organization’s as-is HR programs? The benefits of having a trusted partner guide you and your team toward excellence are invaluable. Contact us today. You — and your employees — will be glad you did.

Rise with us by implementing high-performance, remote human-resource programs designed to help you find great people. E-mail us here.

Mark A. Griffin is President and Founder of IHN HR. Connect with him on LinkedIn and Twitter.

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Now more than ever, work can feel heavy for some. Post-COVID transitions, return-to-office tension, cultural division, and a constant stream of polarizing news have created workplaces filled with uncertainty, fatigue, and quiet disconnection. Many leaders are asking the same question: How do we keep people moving forward when everything feels like it’s pulling us apart?

The good news? There is a better way and it starts with leading from purpose, encouragement, and faith-rooted clarity.

In this episode, we’re joined by Joanna C. Brown, Founder and Lead Consultant of Eden Beacon LLC. Joanna is a trusted advisor, executive coach, and leadership consultant who helps organizations and individuals grow with intention, integrity, and alignment. Through her work in business and human capital consulting, faith-based leadership development, and culture transformation, Joanna equips leaders to navigate change without losing their people or themselves. She is also the author of Don’t Die in the Desert, a devotional guiding individuals through difficult seasons with resilience and hope.

Together, we explore how leaders can transform seasons of disruption into moments of renewal.

Key insight: Change often disconnects people from why they do what they do and purpose is the first thing leaders must help restore.

We’ll explore:

• How leaders can revisit personal and organizational purpose during transition

• Using purpose as an anchor when roles, goals, and structures shift

• Practical questions leaders can ask to bring clarity back to their teams

Takeaway: When circumstances are unstable, purpose becomes your strongest stabilizer.

Key insight: In times of change, information alone isn’t enough people need reassurance, hope, and to feel seen.

We’ll explore:

• Why encouragement is a leadership skill anyone can learn

• Simple, daily practices that rebuild morale and trust

• How encouragement strengthens engagement, resilience, and retention

Takeaway: Encouragement fuels momentum when motivation runs low.

Key insight: Every transition carries the potential for transformation if leaders choose to lead with intention instead of fear.

We’ll explore:

• Shifting from fear-based reactions to growth-based responses

• Helping teams see change as refinement rather than loss

• Leading with faith, values, and confidence through the unknown

Takeaway: When change is led well, it becomes a catalyst for lasting growth.

Change is inevitable but discouragement doesn’t have to be. Join us for this timely conversation with Joanna C. Brown and discover practical, faith-rooted leadership tools to help you reconnect to purpose, lead with encouragement, and guide your team through change with confidence and hope.

Listen & Learn

Discover how HR can be a bridge to healing, connection, and faith-driven support in the workplace. Tune in to gain valuable insights and tools for cultivating a culture of care in your organization.

Concerned about your organization’s as-is HR programs? The benefits of having a trusted partner guide you and your team to excellence are invaluable. Contact us today. You and your employees will be glad you did.

Rise with us by implementing our high-performance remote human-resource programs to help find great people! E-mail us here.

Mark A. Griffin is president and founder of IHN HR. Connect with him on LinkedIn and Twitter.

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As organizations grow, their benefits strategy must grow with them. But many leaders are still navigating rising costs, confusing options, and outdated healthcare models that no longer serve their teams well.

Join us as we sit down with Julie Garrett, Vice President of Employee Benefits at HUB International. Julie is a senior employee benefits consultant with extensive experience partnering with Finance and HR leaders to design and implement strategic, cost-effective benefits programs. She has spent her career helping organizations improve plan performance, manage healthcare costs, and strengthen total rewards strategies that support employee well-being and business goals. Julie is known for her collaborative approach and her ability to translate complex benefits data into actionable solutions for employers and their teams.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

What an ICHRA is and how it works, including who it’s best for and when it makes sense to use it instead of traditional health plans.

How to offer more choice without losing control of costs, giving individuals flexibility while protecting the organization’s budget.

How to build a benefits strategy that scales, from small teams to large, complex organizations, without adding unnecessary complexity or risk.

This episode is for leaders and HR decision-makers who want practical, clear guidance on building benefits that support both people and purpose.

Listen & Learn

Discover how HR can be a bridge to healing, connection, and faith-driven support in the workplace. Tune in to gain valuable insights and tools for cultivating a culture of care in your organization.

Concerned about your organization’s as-is HR programs? The benefits of having a trusted partner guide you and your team to excellence are invaluable. Contact us today. You and your employees will be glad you did.

Rise with us by implementing our high-performance remote human-resource programs to help find great people! E-mail us here.

Mark A. Griffin is president and founder of IHN HR. Connect with him on LinkedIn and Twitter.

Follow Us On Instagram Here