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PODCAST

The HR Life Podcast

The HR Life Podcast is a show about the work-life experience of those of us in Human Resources and business leadership. This long-form podcast is a conversation, casual, and not always the corporate line. Hosts and guests touch on everything from serious or even controversial topics to the absurdity of modern American business practices. Your hosts are Tony Benjamin, owner and founder of The Grange Strategic HR Consulting, and Steven J. Smith, Author of The Hiring Tree: Laws of Applicant

business management

All Episodes

89:38

EP 33 Look Here Resume Writing with Amy Adler

The HR Life Podcast ·

2026/01/27

Amy Adler has the proof that she's the best resume writer in the world. The guys talk to her about professional resume writers, the first resume ever written, pink jeeps, the scams that job hunters face, the state of HR, and a lot more. What is the worst word you can use on your LinkedIn profile? Find out in this fantastic episode. Learn More about Amy Adler at: https://fivestrengths.com Schedule a meeting with Amy at: https://fivestrengths.com/thehrlifeFind Amy on LinkedIn at:

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81:49

EP - 32 Dentist Elves, SHRM's Mistakes, Lawsuit...

The HR Life Podcast ·

2026/01/20

In this episode the guys lay out SHRM's dirty laundry for everybody to see. They discuss the $11.5M case specifics, the rumored toxic work environment at national SHRM, and how politics play into it all. It needs to be said. They mention the HR Besties podcast and critique their takes and the attempts of some to take down SHRM and its local affiliates. Learn more about Tony "Two Weeks' Notice" Benjamin at: https://www.thegrangellc.com/Learn more about Steven "Big Deal" Smith at:

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65:21

EP 31 The Very Cool Sexy Subject of I9's with Karisa...

The HR Life Podcast ·

2026/01/13

The guys talk to Karisa Stahle about I9's, 1099 Employees, and how to do audits during an incredibly difficult time. The guys check in with Karisa on the state HR, talk AI a little, and talk about how to go about an I9 audit. Where to start and how to keep everybody calm when you let them know you need to redo some paperwork. Learn more about Karisa Stahle at: https://www.linkedin.com/in/karisa-stahle-mba-shrm-cp-23395950/Learn more about Tony "Two Weeks' Notice" Benjamin at:

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79:06

EP 30 Fantastic Stickers With Tracie Kalmar

The HR Life Podcast ·

2026/01/06

The guys talk to Tracie Kalmar about how tough it was to work with Steve (which she claims was great), building culture, cutesy stickers, interviewing for humility, and a lot more. Listeners get an update on Steve's cat flooding his bathrooms and Tony gets exposed for saying the word fantastic too much. The guys introduce a new charity you can work with and the word strategic gets said more often than you'd expect. Learn more about Tracie Kalmar at:

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78:43

EP 29 The Lawyer is in With Mark Tolman

The HR Life Podcast ·

2025/12/30

The guys talk to Mark Tolman, a company side employment attorney, and the most common EEOC complaints, executive orders, and some legal updates. Learn about Muldrow v. City of St. Louis and other cases. Did you know that you can get a restraining order against former employees and others who make threats? Who files more of those than anybody else in Utah? Oh... and the episode isn't boring! Learn more about Mark Tolman at: https://parsonsbehle.com/people/mark-d-tolman or

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57:25

EP 28 Merry Christmas! At Twice the Speed While...

The HR Life Podcast ·

2025/12/23

From our families to yours, Merry Christmas! The guys give you an insight into their personal lives by having their wives on the podcast. Does Steve sometimes leave off the true ending of the story? Why does Tony respond slower now instead of just saying the first thing that pops into his head? Listen to the podcast and find out. Get an insight into the cardinal rule of the podcast and where it came from. A special thank you to Alicia Smith and Rachel Benjamin for joining the podcast

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66:42

EP 27 Compassion and Exciting, Fancy Psychobabble...

The HR Life Podcast ·

2025/12/16

This is the episode Steve's been teasing for more than a month! Tony and Steve talk compassion with Andrea Hollingsworth. Listen in as Andrea crowd surfs the "live studio audience" and dispels the idea that compassion is a lot of workplace hugs. The guys talk to her about the difference between empathy and compassion, and discuss the fight or flight response generated when employees don't feel safe. Andrea's insights feed a deeper understanding of the workplace. Learn more about Andrea

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75:57

EP 26 $600k Worth of Stats, Confused Culture, and...

The HR Life Podcast ·

2025/12/09

The guys talk to Weslie Porter, Director of People Analytics for the State of Utah, and he drops some amazing stats that have the ability to change how you view HR. Wes gives some amazing insights into motivation, dissent, and the actual role of human resources. From artillery specialists in the Army to private sector employees just onboarded, how do you gather data and build excellence? Find out in this episode. Learn More: Learn more about Weslie Porter at:

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87:30

EP 25 Yea... International HR with Desma and Elrona...

The HR Life Podcast ·

2025/12/02

The guys talk to Desma and Elrona D'Souza, the "HR Sisters" and owners of S&K HR Consulting. What is it like to live in a country where 80% of the population is imported? What is similar between HR in Dubai and the US, what is different? If you give somebody a bobblehead of Tony in Dubai is it a positive thing or not? Desma D'Souza - After spending over 15 years building a successful corporate career, Desma D’Souza took a bold leap into entrepreneurship after a transformative

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67:33

EP 24 Breaking News! 2026 Work Elevated Theme......

The HR Life Podcast ·

2025/11/26

This episode includes the long awaited announcement of the theme of the 2026 Work Elevated Conference. JoyLynn Jeppson joins the guys to announce the theme (which is NOT Steve Smith), tell her story and remind of how sexist the '90's were. The episode was delayed when Tony damaged the original recording and it had to be rerecorded. JoyLynn shares data that came out of the 2025 conference, explains the shifting reasons people attend conferences, and asks for volunteers. You can learn

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84:21

EP 23 Superpowers for Grown-ups With Tami Bajema

The HR Life Podcast ·

2025/11/18

In this week's episode, the guys talk with Tami Bajema about the revolutionary idea that weaknesses are just strengths turned up a little too high. Tami talks about helping people find their Super Powers (the intersection of what they're good at, what they like to do, and their perseverance/marketability) starting in elementary school and during interviews. She talks about what happened when she discovered that there wasn't a labor pool for the kind of skills she needed and how an

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102:21

EP 22 Eating the Otter Pops, Setting Up The New HR...

The HR Life Podcast ·

2025/11/11

In this episode Tony and Steve attack how to take over a dysfunctional HR department or start a department of one. They coin a new phrase, "Eat the Otterpops", discuss how to build recruiting on a solid foundation, and have a lot of fun along the way. Steve gives some incredible new insights into what demotivates employees with some new research from iSolved, and explains why employees refer their friends to work for the company. Nothing or nobody is out of bounds in this episode. Link

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77:18

EP 21 Who Defends HR on 6 Mile with Claire Lizear?

The HR Life Podcast ·

2025/11/04

Claire Lizear joins the podcast from 6 Mile to talk HR burnout, the trap that many HR professionals find themselves in, who HR should report to, how she screens applicants, and of course, horror stories. All this with Claire's fiery sense of humor and incredible insight. Tony shares a favorite harassment complaint. Claire explains what 8 Mile, 6 Mile, and 5 Mile are near Detroit and we find out that Steve is a recording star. Viva La Kiss Cam: https://youtu.be/OW5WDT40-Ow Claire Lizear,

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76:17

EP 20 Perfectionist Rock Stars a Plenty with Alison...

The HR Life Podcast ·

2025/10/28

Alison Avila joins the guys to test the theory that no matter what intro Tony gives about Steve, it will turn out to be true. They also discuss perfectionism in HR Pro's, nicknamed horror stories, and why some staffing companies succeed when others don't. Alison is the Director of Human Resources at Your Employment Solutions (YES), a Utah-based staffing agency where she has led HR strategy and growth since 2013. With a Bachelor’s and Master’s in Human Resources from Utah State University,

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87:23

EP 19 Vision, Mission, and Shoulder Grogu

The HR Life Podcast ·

2025/10/21

The guys talk Steve's missing Star Wars ornaments and Vision Mission Values with the Empty Red Seat. Why your vision, mission, and values form a critical component in your recruiting, onboarding, and engagement. This discussion is the central focus of Tony’s consulting services and the bleeding edge recruiting techniques that Steve presents at conferences around the country and in his book. Why is your mission changeable? What are values and why are they valuable? AND… how does that

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75:49

EP 18 The Layoff Stayed in Vegas, From the Couch to...

The HR Life Podcast ·

2025/10/14

The guys talk to Steve Jaffe, author of the book The Layoff Journey: From Dismissal to Discovery. The discussion moves from statistics of the increasing numbers of people caught in layoffs, to some of the pitfalls of using an ATS fully screen applicants. Recovering from being caught in a layoff is a journey and this episode looks at it from 100 different angles including HR’s. Born and raised in sunny San Diego, Steve began his writing journey at San Diego State University, where he

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121:49

EP 17 Free Bird, The Work Elevated Conference, and...

The HR Life Podcast ·

2025/10/07

Recorded live at The Work Elevated Conference, this episode will shock you into a smile. After another brilliant introduction, the guys talk to both organizers and attendees at the conference. Rachel Child joins the podcast again and talks about working at the conference, Karisa Stahle then talks about turning over the reigns to Joylynn Jepson who also joined and promised to first release the theme of next year’s conference exclusively on the podcast. Attendee Carl McCain talks to the

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92:24

EP 16 Illegal Lizards, Divine Recruiting and Melissa...

The HR Life Podcast ·

2025/09/30

Steve admits his troubled past selling lizards and the guys talk recruiting, interviewing, and the state of HR with Melissa Musgrave. Melissa shares her experience "recruiting Jesus" and some other fun stories. The guys take a few minutes and discuss the assassination of Charlie Kirk. Melissa believes people are the capital, and growth is the return. Founder of Melissa Musgrave People Collective, where she helps leaders, professionals, and organizations unlock clarity, confidence, and

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86:29

EP 15 Insurance Fun with Diane Fullerton

The HR Life Podcast ·

2025/09/22

After a shaky start, the guys talk to Diane Fullerton from GBS Benefits about that time she helped save the Work Elevated Conference and her association with Utah SHRM. They also talk the world of benefits, what your broker should be doing for you, and the process of getting benefit quotes. We know... all sexy topics for sure, but it was a lot of fun. Monday was a full participant in this episode.This episode drops the first day of the Work Elevated Conference and can provide a fantastic

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74:48

EP 14 JD Robinson, The New Guy in Steve's Database

The HR Life Podcast ·

2025/09/16

The guys talk with JD Robinson about Recruiting, the state of HR, making transformative relationships with people, and acknowledge that HR is not your friend... but neither is accounting or marketing. They discuss the value of experience verses a degree and why high performers that nobody likes shouldn't be on your team as well as the greatest recruiting process JD has ever been a part of. (No pets were heard in the recording of this episode.) JD Robinson is a business and HR executive

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35 results

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