In Episode 15 of Vita Talks, host Gianna Ricciardi is joined by Rita De Luca, Partner and Senior HR Consultant at DRH Solutions, to explore the foundational role company values play in building scalable, high-performing organizations.

Rita shares a compelling case study of a 1,000-person company that, despite its size, lacked clarity and consistency—resulting in disengagement, poor accountability, and internal conflict. Her discovery? The root of the problem was a lack of clearly defined organizational values.

In this conversation, Rita outlines how values aren’t just words on a wall. When defined with intention and embedded across hiring, onboarding, performance reviews, and leadership, they become the operating system of a company’s culture—a concept she calls “The Legacy Effect.”

This episode is essential listening for founders, people leaders, and HR teams looking to build resilient cultures, especially in fast-growing or scaling environments.

💡 Key takeaways:

• How values influence behaviour and accountability
• Case study: Fixing disengagement with a values-first approach
• Embedding values into recruitment and performance
• The role of managers in modelling values
• What “The Legacy Effect” means in HR strategy

🎧 Who Should Listen?

• Founders and business owners scaling their teams and looking to build a strong, sustainable culture
• HR professionals and consultants tasked with implementing or refreshing company values
• People leaders and managers aiming to align behaviour, performance, and culture across departments
• Recruiters and talent acquisition teams interested in hiring for cultural fit, not just skill
• Organizations struggling with engagement, accountability, or internal conflict and seeking a foundational reset

🔗 Mentioned Links:

• Rita De Luca | LinkedIn Profile
• DRH Solutions

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Ways to Support This Podcast:

💡 Share this episode with colleagues and leaders in your network
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In this episode #14 of the Vita Talks Podcast, host Gianna Ricciardi welcomes Elissa Shorrock, Founder and Senior HR Consultant at ZOLERNA HR Consulting, for a candid look at how communication—when not managed intentionally—can derail even the most promising organizations.

Elissa shares a case study from a growing marketing agency that introduced multiple collaboration tools like Microsoft Teams, Monday.com, and email in hopes of improving team efficiency. But without clear guidelines, these tools created confusion, delays, and misalignment, especially between remote and in-office staff.

What began as a simple tech fix turned into a deeper investigation into how communication habits were impacting culture and performance. Elissa explains how her team diagnosed the issue using employee surveys, then co-created a communication strategy and playbook that brought clarity to the chaos.

This episode is a must-listen for HR professionals, team leads, and business owners navigating growth, hybrid models, or internal friction. Learn how to unify your communication approach, prevent silos, and build stronger collaboration across distributed teams.

🎧 Key takeaways:

• What causes miscommunication across hybrid or scaling teams
• How to build a simple but powerful communication playbook
• Why performance issues often stem from poor messaging, not poor talent

Who Should Listen?

• HR leaders at small to mid-sized companies experiencing growth
• Team managers struggling to align remote and in-office employees
• Operations leaders looking to reduce friction and missed deadlines
• Founders and executives aiming to improve internal communication
• Anyone building a hybrid team or scaling their collaboration infrastructure

Mentioned Links:

• Elissa Shorrock, Founder & Senior HR Consultant
• Website: https://www.zolernahr.com/
• Connect on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/elissa-shorrock-crha-chrp-04158314/

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• LinkedIn
• Website - Group Employee Benefits

Ways to Support This Podcast:

💡 Share this episode with colleagues and leaders in your network
⭐ Leave a review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify
🔔 Subscribe for future conversations about benefits, leadership, and workplace wellness

In Episode 13 of Vita Talks, host Gianna Ricciardi is joined by Sophie Babinski, Principal Consultant at Pli & Repli and Co‑Founder of Manella, to explore how fast-paced organizations can better support employees through their parental leave experience.

Sophie shares a compelling case study from a pre‑IPO SaaS company of over 1,000 employees. Despite strong parental leave policies and DEI values, employees returning from leave often encountered vastly changed roles, emotional disorientation, and unclear expectations, especially in a culture built for speed.

Sophie and Gianna discuss how the consulting process uncovered discrepancies between policy and lived experience, and how interventions—like manager toolkits, intentional re‑onboarding, and new “empathy guides”—helped bridge those gaps. They outline practical changes, including comp-review cycles for returnees, manager check-ins during leave, and enhanced employee communication strategies. Sophie emphasizes that these improvements are low-lift but high-impact in terms of retention, trust, and employee well-being.

Who Should Listen?

• HR professionals seeking to improve return-to-work experiences after parental leave.
• People managers navigating how to better support employees during and post-leave.
• DEI and culture leads looking to bridge policy with real employee experience.
• Leaders in fast-paced or scaling companies aiming to retain talent during life transitions.
• Founders or HR teams at early-stage companies designing or rethinking parental leave policies.

Mentioned Links:

• Sophie Babinski’s LinkedIn
• Pli & Repli LinkedIn

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Ways to Support This Podcast:

💡 Share this episode with colleagues and leaders in your network
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In Part 2 of this two-part series, Vita Talks host Gianna Ricciardi welcomes back John Cochrane, Founder of JD Consulting, for the conclusion of a deep dive into group insurance funding models and risk evaluation.

Building on the foundational conversation in Episode 11, this episode breaks down the real-world results of a comprehensive benefits audit for a 600-employee organization. The outcome? A $350,000 cost reduction, enhanced control over reserves, and a shift to a customized ASO (Administrative Services Only) model, without adding undue risk.

Hear how the client, previously on a refund accounting model for over two decades, was guided through a detailed analysis of historical claims, pooling levels, and risk tolerance. John explains how organizations can assess whether they’re paying too much for too little flexibility—and how pooling levels, third-party administrators, and hybrid approaches all play a role in optimizing a benefits strategy.

The episode concludes with a clear takeaway: Every organization deserves a full understanding of its funding model options and the confidence to choose the one that aligns with its risk profile, size, and goals.

Who Should Listen?

• HR and finance professionals managing employee benefits

• Employers considering changes to their plan structure

• Advisors looking for deeper insights into funding model strategy

• Business leaders aiming to improve cost-efficiency without compromising employee experience

🎧 Listen to Part 2 now and revisit Part 1 for the full story.

Mentioned Links:

• JD Consulting
• John Cochrane’s LinkedIn

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• LinkedIn
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Ways to Support This Podcast:

💡 Share this episode with colleagues and leaders in your network
⭐ Leave a review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify
🔔 Subscribe for future conversations about benefits, leadership, and workplace wellness

In Part 1 of this two-part series, host Gianna Ricciardi is joined by John Cochrane, Partner and Founder of JD Consulting, to explore the often-misunderstood world of group insurance funding and underwriting arrangements.

Drawing on over 25 years of experience in employee benefits consulting, John outlines the three primary funding models—fully insured, refund (retention) accounting, and administrative services only (ASO)—and explains how each structure allocates risk between the insurer and the client.

Listeners will hear a real-world scenario involving a 600-employee organization that has managed its plan directly with an insurer for over 20 years without advisory support. After agreeing to a confidential audit, the company uncovered significant inefficiencies in its funding model.

📆 Part 2, airing next month, will unpack the audit findings in more detail and share actionable insights for employers considering a funding model shift.

Who Should Listen?

• 🎯 HR and payroll professionals managing group insurance plans
• 🎯 CFOs and finance leaders focused on cost containment and plan ROI
• 🎯 Employers with growing teams and evolving risk profiles
• 🎯 Benefits consultants and advisors seeking clearer ways to explain funding models

Mentioned Links:

• JD Consulting
• John Cochrane’s LinkedIn

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• Vita Talks Podcast
• LinkedIn
• Vita Assure Website

💡 Share this episode with colleagues and leaders in your network
⭐ Leave a review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify
🔔 Subscribe for future conversations about benefits, leadership, and workplace wellness

In this episode of the Vita Talks Podcast, we sit down with Giovanna Buscemi, Executive Coach and Founder of Clareo Institute, to explore how executive coaching empowers leaders—especially women navigating complex leadership roles—to thrive through transition, overcome internal blockers, and lead with confidence.

Giovanna brings decades of experience in HR, leadership development, and counseling to her work with high-performing executives. She shares a compelling case study based on a composite of real clients—a seasoned female executive who reaches the C-suite only to be met with resistance, isolation, and self-doubt.

We explore what happens when traditional success strategies no longer work, and how coaching helps leaders unlearn old habits, develop managerial courage, and redefine what success looks like at the top.

If you’ve ever felt stuck in your leadership journey or are supporting someone navigating change in a high-impact role, this conversation is full of wisdom and practical guidance.

• Female Executives Navigating Leadership Transitions
• HR Professionals supporting Senior Leaders
• Business Leaders and Founders Scaling Their Organizations
• Anyone interested in executive coaching, emotional intelligence, or personal leadership growth

Mentioned Links:

• Clareo Institute Website
• Connect with Giovanna on LinkedIn
• Clareo Institute LinkedIn Page

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• Vita Talks Podcast
• LinkedIn
• Group Insurance and Group Retirement

💡 Share this episode with colleagues and leaders in your network
⭐ Leave a review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify
🔔 Subscribe for future conversations about benefits, leadership, and workplace wellness

Thinking about offering employee benefits but feeling lost? You’re not alone. Many small businesses struggle to set up group insurance that works for their team and their budget. Some plans feel too rigid, too expensive, or just too complicated.

In this special Vita Talks HR & Benefits takeover episode, Dominic lafigliola turns the mic on Gianna Ricciardi, Co-Founder and Practice Leader at Vita Assure. Gianna shares a real-life case study of a small software business that struggled with setting up benefits—and how they finally found the right solution.

Whether you’re an HR professional or a small business owner, this episode will help you navigate the group insurance process with confidence.

What You'll Learn in This Episode:

• The #1 mistake small businesses make when setting up group insurance
• The difference between an insurance broker and an advisor (and why it matters)
• Flexible benefits vs. traditional benefits: Which is right for your company?
• How to compare insurance quotes without getting overwhelmed
• Top employee benefits trends in 2025 (Health Spending Accounts, Mental Health, & More)
• The step-by-step process to setting up a benefits plan with minimal hassle

This episode is packed with practical insights to help HR teams, business owners, and decision-makers create a benefits plan that actually works for their employees.

Who Should Listen?

🎯 Small business owners setting up benefits for the first time
🎯 HR professionals struggling to choose the right insurance provider
🎯 Employers looking for more flexible, cost-effective benefits solutions

If you’re exploring employee benefits and want a clear, strategic approach, this episode is packed with practical insights to help you make the best decision.

🎧 Press play now to learn how to create an employee benefits plan that actually works!

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• Website
• Vita Talks Podcast
• Vita Assure LinkedIn Page
  

Ways to Support This Podcast:
💡 Share this episode with colleagues and friends
⭐ Leave a review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify
🔔 Subscribe for future episodes

Joining Gianna in this episode is Farzeen Foda, Founder of PeopleStrategy.ca, a Human Resources and Organizational Development consultancy focused on partnering with organizations to design work that inspires performance and effectiveness. Farzeen is also an instructor for the Essentials of People Analytics and Analytics Project Design at York University, a program to help HR Professionals confidently apply concepts and practices in various organizations.

Farzeen discusses the re-design of an Early Talent Program within the technology department of a large financial institution. While the program welcomed almost a thousand undergraduate students annually, most did not return to the organization to continue their careers post-graduation.

Learn how the organization utilized technology, in conjunction with a communication campaign, to encourage students to share key information. Armed with meaningful and reliable data, they were better equipped to pipeline students by matching skill sets with skill gaps, as well as to deploy educational programs to help students identify career opportunities within the organization.

Farzeen advocates for all organizations, whether small or big, to take advantage of people analytics to mobilize teams and foster them internally.

Mentioned Links

• PeopleStrategy’s website
• PeopleStrategy LinkedIn
• Connect with Farzeen on LinkedIn

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• Vita Talks Podcast
• LinkedIn
• Employee Benefits