Opening the Right Doors - Rethinking Sponsorship, Trust, and Inclusion at Work with Dr. Rosalind Chow
Release Date: 04/29/2025
BONUS EPISODE: Nicole Blevins HR Myth Busters
Transform Your Workplace
This HR "Mythbusters" episode features Nicole Blevins quizzing Brandon Laws on common HR misconceptions. They explore myths about HR's role, documentation requirements, overtime exemptions, layoff procedures, performance management, and employee rights. Key takeaways include: HR serves both company and employee interests, culture is everyone's responsibility, and regular feedback beats annual reviews alone. A QUICK GLIMPSE INTO OUR PODCAST 🎙️ Transform Your Workplace, sponsored by Xenium HR Host: Brandon Laws “The Transform Your Workplace podcast is your go-to source for...
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From Burnout to Purpose: Why the Mattering Revolution Starts with You
Transform Your Workplace
John R. Miles, former Fortune 50 executive and military officer, discusses his transformation from corporate success to purposeful living. After experiencing burnout and personal trauma, he developed the "Passion Struck" framework to help people move from lives they "should" be living to lives they "could" be living. He emphasizes that workplace disengagement stems from a "mattering crisis" rather than just workload issues, advocating for intentional leadership focused on helping employees feel valued and significant. TAKEAWAYS The Real Problem: Workplace burnout is less about workload and...
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How HR Can Lead the AI Revolution Without Losing Its Humanity
Transform Your Workplace
HR consultant Daniel Strode discusses AI's impact on human resources, highlighting recruitment and data analytics as prime areas for adoption. He introduces his "5P model" emphasizing policy/governance and people/culture transformation as critical success factors. While AI adoption remains slow—only 25% of adults regularly use tools like ChatGPT—organizations are unknowingly integrating AI through software updates. Strode advocates for proper governance policies ahead of regulations like the EU AI Act, positioning AI as a collaborative tool enhancing rather than replacing human...
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How Work Can Be Fun with Steve Carse
Transform Your Workplace
Is it possible to make work actually fun without losing sight of business goals? Steve Carse thinks so—and he has the story to prove it. In this energizing episode, Brandon Laws sits down with the CEO of King of Pops to talk about how one humble ice pop cart evolved into a culture-first brand and what fun truly means in the workplace. They discuss how storytelling, ownership, gamification, and pride all contribute to a work culture that people love being part of. Whether you're a leader looking to revitalize your team or an employee wondering if fun has a place at work, this episode will...
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The Win-Win Workplace: Reimagining How We Work — And Why It Pays Off
Transform Your Workplace
Dr. Angela Jackson discusses her book "The Win-Win Workplace," advocating for moving beyond traditional zero-sum work environments to create workplaces where both employees and businesses thrive. She emphasizes listening to employee feedback, embracing whole-person identities, reimagining benefits, and fostering ownership mindsets to drive productivity, retention, and bottom-line success. TAKEAWAYS Listen to employees regularly and act on their feedback to build trust and engagement Support the whole person by acknowledging employees' full identities and life circumstances Create...
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Radical Listening with Robert Biswas-Diener & Christian van Nieuwerburgh
Transform Your Workplace
This podcast episode explores how "radical listening" transforms leadership by focusing on intentional connection rather than performative techniques. Dr. Christian van Nieuwerburgh and Dr. Robert Biswas-Diener explain that radical listening requires internal quieting, purposeful attention, and genuine curiosity to overcome modern workplace distractions. TAKEAWAYS Radical listening is an intentional act of connection that goes beyond traditional "active listening" techniques to build trust and influence. The Radical Listening Framework centers on positive intention, combining internal...
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Designing Your Life: How to Focus on What Matters Most
Transform Your Workplace
Rob Shallenberger discusses his book "Do What Matters Most," explaining how implementing three key habits—creating personal visions, setting specific goals, and practicing pre-week planning—can dramatically increase productivity while reducing stress. These practices help people design intentional lives rather than defaulting to reactivity and chaos. TAKEAWAYS Creating written personal visions for each key life role provides direction and meaning, transforming how you approach priorities (only 2% of people do this). Pre-week planning (spending 20-30 minutes weekly) allows you to...
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BONUS EPISODE: Returning from Maternity Leave and Job Growth with Nicole Blevins
Transform Your Workplace
In this bonus podcast episode, Brandon Laws catches up with Nicole Blevins, who recently returned from maternity leave and stepped into a new role as Director of HR Services at Xenium HR. Nicole candidly shares her experience transitioning to parenthood, the challenges of balancing work and family responsibilities, and the significance of paid family leave. Despite the challenges of returning to work in a new leadership position while adjusting to parenthood, Nicole emphasizes how the flexibility of remote work, supportive leadership, and her passion for her career have helped her navigate...
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Opening the Right Doors - Rethinking Sponsorship, Trust, and Inclusion at Work with Dr. Rosalind Chow
Transform Your Workplace
In this Transform Your Workplace episode, host Brandon Laws interviews Dr. Rosalind Chow about her book "The Doors You Can Open." They discuss the critical difference between mentorship and sponsorship, with Chow explaining that sponsors talk about you to others while mentors talk to you directly. Using Kim Ng's MLB breakthrough as an example, Chow emphasizes how sponsorship requires trust and can take different forms. She explores how "good gossip" celebrates others' achievements, the importance of diversifying social networks, and challenges with meritocracy. Chow concludes that everyone can...
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The Culture Shift We Can’t Ignore (and How to Lead Through It) with Jennifer Moss
Transform Your Workplace
Jennifer Moss discusses her book "Why Are We Here? Creating a Work Culture Everyone Wants," exploring how the pandemic triggered a collective existential crisis about work. She emphasizes that meaningful workplace cultures can be built through small, intentional practices rather than major overhauls, focusing on hope, purpose, and community to combat burnout and disengagement in today's rapidly changing work environment. TAKEAWAYS Building hope through regular goal-setting and celebrating small wins helps combat workplace anxiety and burnout Flexibility should be treated as a right...
info_outlineIn this Transform Your Workplace episode, host Brandon Laws interviews Dr. Rosalind Chow about her book "The Doors You Can Open." They discuss the critical difference between mentorship and sponsorship, with Chow explaining that sponsors talk about you to others while mentors talk to you directly. Using Kim Ng's MLB breakthrough as an example, Chow emphasizes how sponsorship requires trust and can take different forms. She explores how "good gossip" celebrates others' achievements, the importance of diversifying social networks, and challenges with meritocracy. Chow concludes that everyone can be a sponsor by connecting people they admire.
TAKEAWAYS
- Sponsorship differs from mentorship in that sponsors promote others through trusted networks, while mentors focus on personal improvement
- Social capital comes in "small town" (close-knit, values-aligned) and "big city" (diverse, innovation-focused) forms, with both being valuable in different contexts
- Everyone can be a sponsor by connecting admired individuals with others in their network, regardless of status or position
A QUICK GLIMPSE INTO OUR PODCAST
🔊 Podcast: Transform Your Workplace, sponsored by Xenium HR 🎙️
Host: Brandon Laws đź“‹
his own words: “The Transform Your Workplace podcast is your go-to source for the latest workplace trends, big ideas, and time-tested methods straight from the mouths of industry experts and respected thought-leaders.
About Xenium HR
Xenium HR is on a mission to transform workplaces by providing expert outsourced HR and payroll services for small and medium-sized businesses. With a people-first approach, Xenium helps organizations create thriving work environments where employees feel valued and supported. From navigating compliance to enhancing workplace culture, Xenium offers tailored solutions that empower growth and simplify HR. Whether managing employee relations, payroll processing, or implementing impactful training programs, Xenium is the trusted partner businesses rely on to elevate their workplace experience. Discover how Xenium can transform your workplace: Learn more
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