325: Beyond the Basics: Win Talent with Whole-Person Wellness Benefits with Michelle Yates & Mark Rosenthal
Release Date: 10/30/2025
339: Cultures of Caring: Turning Grief into a Leadership Growth Opportunity with Ashley Jones
Gut + Science
Grief doesn’t clock out when we clock in. Nikki sits down with Ashley Jones, founder of Memento Foundation and grief and empathy consultant, to explore what happens when loss walks into the workplace. After navigating the unimaginable loss of her daughter, Ashley turned her pain into purpose, helping organizations lead through grief with courage, care, and emotional intelligence. Together, they unpack what most leaders get wrong about grief at work, why empathy is not optional in modern leadership, and how cultures of caring are built long before crisis hits. This conversation challenges...
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338: Align Humans and Technology or You’ll Be Out of Business in 10 Years with Ferry Hoes
Gut + Science
If your company treats technology like the hero and people like the afterthought, it may not survive the next decade. Nikki sits down with Ferry Hoes, founder of Brand Humanizing, to challenge the way leaders think about AI, automation, and innovation. Ferry shares a bold warning: organizations that fail to align humans and technology will quietly lose their people and their customers. Through personal stories of watching a chatbot replace real connection and sink a business, he unpacks why meaningful work and human trust still drive performance. From task forces to tech integration mistakes...
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In the Loop: What Your Digital Body Language Communicates
Gut + Science
Have you ever unraveled over a one word email? Or spiraled because someone “saw” your message but didn’t respond? Katherine dives into the invisible signals shaping today’s workplace: digital body language. Inspired by Erica Dhawan’s work and Katherine’s real world leadership experience, this conversation explores how response time, punctuation, brevity, silence, and even channel choice are constantly communicating on your behalf. In a world where 70% of communication is virtual, leaders are sending signals about trust, respect, urgency, and inclusion whether they mean to or not....
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Addicted to Betterment: Planting Onions Expecting Strawberries? Lessons from the Bamboo Tree.
Gut + Science
The results you're seeing today are a direct reflection of seeds you planted long ago, and if that hits a nerve, this episode is for you. Nikki and David are getting real about the wild truth that what you plant is what you get. From the legendary patience it takes to grow a Chinese bamboo tree to the behind-the-scenes grind of podcasting and showing up as your best self each day, this convo hits deep. They break down how to audit your daily “seeds,” why choosing your crop before planting is the move, how AI is just like soil, and why protecting your energy is non-negotiable. Oh, and if...
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337: Your Vibration Is Your Currency with Carrie Moore
Gut + Science
There’s a level of leadership most people never access, not because it’s hidden, but because it requires going inward first. Nikki sits down with transformational leadership expert Carrie Moore to explore a powerful truth: your vibration is your currency. Drawing from neuroscience, quantum mechanics, and executive leadership, Carrie explains how the energy you bring into a room directly impacts trust, culture, and results. This conversation goes beyond performance tactics. It dives into identity, influence over execution, and why transformation is the real work of leadership. Nikki and...
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Addicted to Betterment: Courage Builders, Not Courage Killers
Gut + Science
What if courage wasn’t something you either had or didn’t, but something you could build? Nikki and David open up about the real journey of courage, not as a Hollywood moment, but as a daily practice. From David’s vulnerability in asking for help after a major injury, to Nikki’s story of taking the stage during the emotional turbulence of divorce, they strip courage down to its core. The duo introduces a four-step framework rooted in faith, values, support systems, and taking action, even when it’s scary. This episode is a call to action for anyone stuck in self-doubt or fear of...
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336: The ABCs of Leadership: Align. Believe. Choose. with JM Ryerson
Gut + Science
What happens when clarity, belief, and intention collide? You get a leadership framework so simple it's unforgettable, literally, it’s the ABCs. Nikki is joined by JM Ryerson, coach, speaker, and founder of Let's Go Win, to unpack the “ABCs” of transformational leadership: Align, Believe, and Choose. Together, they explore how alignment creates a cultural backbone, belief fuels personal and professional breakthroughs, and conscious choices keep teams moving forward, even in tough times. From the power of simplicity and the danger of misaligned values to 4-day work weeks, this episode is...
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In the Loop: Leadership that Listens with Ashima Kapur
Gut + Science
What if HR’s true power isn’t just policies and programs, but its position as a strategic driver of culture and communication? Katherine sits down with Ashima Kapur, Chief People Officer at Allied Solutions, to explore the leadership mindsets and behaviors that drive sustainable growth. From growing Allied from 500 to nearly 2,000 employees to building an HR function that earns a seat at the table, Ashima shares a people-first blueprint for organizational success. She reveals how HR and communication go hand-in-hand to shape culture, why transparency and authenticity aren’t optional...
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335: Leading with Honesty and Care: Empowerment in Action with Steve Sorenson
Gut + Science
What if the real secret to building leaders, not followers, was simply honesty paired with care? Nikki sits down with Steve Sorenson, Senior Director Learning and Culture at Johnsonville, to explore a leadership model rooted in humble candor, empowerment, and intentional coaching. Known for replacing “managers” with “coaches” and fostering autonomy through frameworks like the ABC Decision Method and the Simon Principle, Steve walks the talk when it comes to building trust, elevating teams, and modeling people-first leadership. This conversation is packed with tangible tools,...
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Work Doesn’t Work (Anymore): Why Relationships Matter Most with Laurie Cozart
Gut + Science
What if the secret to better leadership isn’t about doing more, but being more human? In this episode of Work Doesn’t Work (Anymore), Dr. Ryan Darby sits down with leadership expert and founder of Brain Squared Leadership Solutions, Laurie Cozart. With over 10,000 individuals and 500 teams coached, Laurie brings deep insights on how leaders can thrive in today’s complex and rapidly changing workplace. Together, they unpack why hero leadership is outdated, why clarity is the most underrated leadership skill, and how vulnerability and relationship-building are actually strategic...
info_outlineWhat do pets, perks, and productivity have in common?
Nikki teams up once again with Michelle Yates of PetPartners, bringing in the dynamic Mark Rosenthal to shake up how we think about employee benefits. They dive into why “nice-to-have” benefits are now need-to-have, and how understanding your people (and their furry family members 🐕) is the game-changer for attracting and retaining top talent.
From multi-generational expectations and mental health support to surprising stats on pet parents and financial stress, this episode is packed with insights that challenge the status quo and inspire leaders to rethink, reframe, and rework their approach to benefits.
You’ll leave with a fresh appreciation for just how much a pet-inclusive workplace can do for your culture. 🐾✨
Additional Resources:
Learn how to create pet-friendly workspaces with the Dogs at Work Guide!
Connect with Michelle on LinkedIn
Learn more about OnePack Plan by PetPartners
Watch Gut + Science (and more) on YouTube!
Connect with Nikki on LinkedIn
Follow PeopleForward Network on LinkedIn
Learn more about PeopleForward Network
Key Takeaways:
- Benefits must support holistic employee wellbeing.
- Customization is key to engaging diverse workforces.
- Pets are essential dependents for many employees.
- Perks must reflect real employee priorities and stressors.
- Clear communication is critical to benefits impact.
Works Cited:
- KRC Research conducted an online survey on behalf of OnePack Plan by Pet Partners among n=1,000 employed US adults 18-65. The sample included n=750 pet owners and n=250 non-pet owners. The study was fielded between August 19 - August 22, 2024.
- Cohen Research Group in conjunction with OnePack Plan by PetPartners and the Human-Animal Bond Research Institute (HABRI) conducted an online survey over a two-week period from February 22 to March 7, 2024, with 1,021 HR professionals working for medium or large companies in the United States and Canada. By design, half of the respondents work at companies currently offering pet health insurance to their employees and half did not offer it to them.
For terms and conditions visit: www.petpartners.com/sample-policies. Products are underwritten by Independence American Insurance Company, (NAIC #26581), and produced by PetPartners, Inc. (NPN #7612549; CA license #0F27261 PPI Pet Insurance Agency, Inc.).