Interview with Cooper Tyra from Houchins Insurance Group – 2025 KYSHRM
Workforce Therapy Files
The Workforce Therapy Files team attended the 2025 Kentucky SHRM Conference, in Louisville. We took the opportunity to interview over 20 professionals who stopped by our booth. Cooper Tyra, an Account Executive at Houchins Insurance Group, sat down with Jason Heflin and Molley Ricketts to explain how his firm serves as the "risk subsidiary" for a massive employee-owned conglomerate. Based in their Louisville satellite office, Cooper works as a single point of contact for private equity firms and manufacturing companies, handling both property and casualty insurance and employee...
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Interview with Jessica Vogt - 2025 KYSHRM
Workforce Therapy Files
The Workforce Therapy Files team attended the 2025 Kentucky SHRM Conference, in Louisville. We took the opportunity to interview over 20 professionals who stopped by our booth. Jessica Vogt, a Corporate Recruiter and culture specialist for Louisville-based Aegis Sortation, sat down with Jamie Swaim to discuss how her company is modernizing the freight and parcel industry through automation. Aegis works with major distribution centers like UPS, FedEx, and Amazon, bringing innovative technology to outdated conveyor sorting systems to make logistics more seamless. In addition to...
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Interview with Don Woolridge and Paul Bolton from the Leadership Louisville Center - 2025 KYSHR
Workforce Therapy Files
The Workforce Therapy Files team attended the 2025 Kentucky SHRM Conference, in Louisville. We took the opportunity to interview over 20 professionals who stopped by our booth. Jamie Swaim and Molley Rickets sat down with Donald Woolridge, Sr., and Paul Bolton from the Leadership Louisville Center to discuss their training and development arm, Leading Better, which takes leadership insights traditionally reserved for small cohorts and brings them to the "many". Donald shared how leadership is fundamentally universal and timeless, centered on interpersonal connectivity, empathy,...
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The Power of Emotional Intelligence in Leadership – Interview with Eric Williamson
Workforce Therapy Files
File 33: In this episode of the Workforce Therapy Files, Jamie and Molley sit down with Eric Williamson to explore leadership and workplace culture, focusing on how intentional leadership decisions shape team performance, communication, and long-term organizational success. They dive into his recent book, “How to Work with Jerks.” The conversation centers on emotional intelligence, workplace accountability, and the responsibility leaders carry in building environments where teams can grow and perform at a high level. Leadership Begins with Intentionality The discussion...
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Interview with Rawleigh Richardson - 2025 KYSHRM
Workforce Therapy Files
The Workforce Therapy Files team attended the 2025 Kentucky SHRM Conference, in Louisville. We took the opportunity to interview over 20 professionals who stopped by our booth. Jason Heflin, CEO of CrowdSouth interviewed Rawleigh Richardson, a member of the Kentucky SHRM State Council and the founder of HumanKind Consulting. Rawleigh shared how he is working to put the "human" back into human resources. Since launching his consultancy in 2023, he’s been busy helping clients navigate reductions in force by providing career coaching and optimizing their LinkedIn profiles...
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Interview with Erin Mitchell - 2025 KYSHRM
Workforce Therapy Files
The Workforce Therapy Files team attended the 2025 Kentucky SHRM Conference, in Louisville. We took the opportunity to interview over 20 professionals who stopped by our booth. Molley Ricketts sat down with Erin Mitchell, the Chief of Staff at Barnes Young Wealth Advisors. They discuss managing culture during a major merger that will grow Barnes Young from 19 to 55 people. With a background in political science, Erin discovered that her empathetic yet direct personality was a perfect fit for HR, where she prioritizes being able to step into other people's shoes. She is...
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Interview with Hannah Carretti - 2025 KYSHRM
Workforce Therapy Files
The Workforce Therapy Files team attended the 2025 Kentucky SHRM Conference, in Louisville. We took the opportunity to interview over 20 professionals who stopped by our booth. Hannah Carretti, HR Director for Campari America, sat down with Jamie Swaim and Jason Heflin, at the 2025 KYSHRM conference to share her experiences as a "true generalist at heart" working in the distilling industry. Hannah’s favorite area of HR is training and employee development, which she finds both humbling and an honor to lead. Currently, she is spearheading a frontline leadership training program,...
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How Leaders Embrace Change - Interview with Maggie Harlow
Workforce Therapy Files
File 32: In today’s file, the team interviews Maggie Harlow, Co-Founder of Signarama Downtown. They discuss leadership lessons, evolving workforce expectations, the importance of communication and accountability, and the challenges of being a female CEO. Maggie shares her entrepreneurial journey, insights on personal growth, and the significance of vision boarding. The conversation emphasizes the need for clarity in expectations, respect among team members, and the courage to embrace challenges as opportunities for growth. Leadership and Emotional Intelligence in the Workplace As...
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Interview with Aaron Heflin - 2025 KYSHRM
Workforce Therapy Files
The Workforce Therapy Files team attended the 2025 Kentucky SHRM Conference, in Louisville. We took the opportunity to interview over 20 professionals who stopped by our booth. Jason Heflin caught up with Aaron Heflin, the HR Director for RCSS Holdings, Inc., which manages an employee-owned group of road construction companies including Reynolds Sealing and Striping. With over 300 active employees across Kentucky and neighboring states, Aaron shared that his crews particularly love their recurring project striping the roads of Smoky Mountain National Park because of the...
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Interview with Khari Bryant - 2025 KYSHRM
Workforce Therapy Files
The Workforce Therapy Files team attended the 2025 Kentucky SHRM Conference, in Louisville. We took the opportunity to interview over 20 professionals who stopped by our booth. Jamie Swaim is joined by Khari Bryant, an Account Executive at Bchex (formerly the Background Investigation Bureau) to explain how his company simplifies the "choose your own adventure" world of background screenings. Bchex rebranded to a shorter, more modern name while continuing to offer comprehensive services like criminal checks, drug screens, and MVRs at all jurisdictional levels. A major...
info_outlineThe Workforce Therapy Files team attended the 2025 Kentucky SHRM Conference, in Louisville. We took the opportunity to interview over 20 professionals who stopped by our booth.
Molley Ricketts sat down with Erin Mitchell, the Chief of Staff at Barnes Young Wealth Advisors. They discuss managing culture during a major merger that will grow Barnes Young from 19 to 55 people. With a background in political science, Erin discovered that her empathetic yet direct personality was a perfect fit for HR, where she prioritizes being able to step into other people's shoes. She is particularly proud of the culture she has helped cultivate and aims to maintain that sense of community across their expanding office locations.
Erin believes the key to overcoming HR stigmas is building deep trust, acting as a transparent "middle woman" between the leadership team and the rest of the staff. She noted that while building trust is a foundation for success, it can be a double-edged sword when team members rely on her so much that she must guide them on how to handle situations themselves. If budget were no object, Erin would provide leadership training to every single employee, regardless of whether they are in a formal management role. She believes emotional intelligence, feedback skills, and career pathing are essential for everyone to lead within their own departments.
Erin left this question for the next guest: "What are some tips of the trade or success stories for enhancing culture and relationships among multiple office locations?".
To learn more, visit:
· Website: www.blueprint.nm.com
Erin Mitchell, thanks for stopping by to speak with us!
That’s where we’ll leave the conversation for today. Before we close the file, we invite you to reach out to us with questions, suggestions or other comments. We’d love to hear from you.
Need Help Supporting Your Company’s Recruiting and Staffing Goals?
We’re here to help. You can contact us via our individual websites, depending on your specific needs or questions:
· Jamie Swaim, SPHR – www.ParcelKnows.com
· Molley Ricketts – www.IncipioWorks.com
· Jason Heflin – www.CrowdSouth.com
We hope you found this file insightful and helpful. Thank you for listening!
