Shows
Offline & UnfilteredExciting Changes Coming to Offline & Unfiltered!TLDR; We're taking a break to do some cool stuff! We'll be back with a shiny new Season 2 later in 2025.It's been an incredible year building Offline & Unfiltered, and we feel so so lucky to have such great fanbase and platform to have thought-provoking conversations and a lot of laughs.That said, we need to walk our own talk. We have learned a ton this past year, and we're going to apply some of those lessons to change the podcast for the better. Some things you can expect:...2025-02-0410 min
Offline & UnfilteredEP18: Worth VS Worth It - A Honest Conversation on Compensation with Sonja SmithIn today's episode, we give listeners a look behind the curtain on how HR professionals really feel about compensation. Spoiler alert: Not positively.HR veteran Sonja Smith joins us for an unfiltered conversation about one of the most complex and often frustrating aspects of work. With over 20 years of experience in HR and talent acquisition, Sonja breaks down why companies struggle with fair pay, the truth about salary ranges, and why being loyal to your employer might actually be costing you money.We dive deep into how compensation really works behind the scenes, from the...2024-12-241h 17
Offline & UnfilteredE17: Changing Where You Are For Who You Are with Kenyetta Hall"If you cannot be who you are where you are, you change where you are, not who you are.” — Caroline WangaWe're excited to welcome Kenyetta Hall back for one of our deepest conversations to date, the complexities of navigating corporate America as a black woman. Lakisha has wanted to have this conversation for sometime now, and we knew Kenyetta would be a great counterpart to this important conversation.As a reminder for our listeners, Kenyetta is an entrepreneur and strategic consultant who specializes in helping businesses bridge the gap between vision and...2024-11-1954 min
Offline & UnfilteredE16 - Is it "spicy"? Or is it just right? with Jazmyn LopezCan you truly be authentic in the workplace? How does one balance their own values and beliefs in environments that make that so hard? And... if you do need to GTFO, how do you build something that is true to your own vision?We dig into this questions and many more with our hilarious, honest, and impressive guest, Jazmyn Lopez. Jazmyn is the founder and thought leader behind Anthelo, a consulting studio concept that delivers her mission is to help intentional entrepreneurs cut through the noise to build sustainable business growth. Her unique corporate...2024-10-221h 04
Offline & UnfilteredE15 - What's Your Bias? With Heeral GudkaIt's been a challenging time for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, and for the professionals working in this space.In the US, backlash and polarization has resulted in several well know organizations reducing or eliminating their DEI teams and programs. The Society of Human Resources Management recently made the decision to "rebrand" DEI despite the loud outcry from their members. Those who feel the most passionate about this work are now exploring avenues like consulting and public speaking after years of working in resource deprived corporate environments.Regardless of how...2024-09-101h 15
Offline & UnfilteredE14 - Building Trust in Tech with Alice HunsbergerHow should we be treating each other on the internet?Who is responsible for deciding what is or isn't allowed on any given platform? What happens when you hit that little "report" button? Moreover, what is it like to be the professional that might see the worst of the worst on the internet?In today's episode, we give our listeners a view into the world of platform Trust & Safety with our guest, Alice Hunsberger. Alice is Vice President of Trust & Safety and Content Moderation at PartnerHero, with wide experience...2024-08-2750 min
Offline & UnfilteredE13 - The "Brilliant Jerk" Conundrum"No brilliant jerks"Netflix thrusted this phrase into the corporate vernacular in 2009, proudly asserting that they would not retain employees who were high performers but difficult to work with. Other companies followed suit, and the "no brilliant jerks" moniker remains a steadfast value many companies claim to adhere to in their hiring and cultural practices.Seems like a noble but simple concept to adhere to, right?But...What happens when you 'brilliant jerk" is locked into a high profile, multi-million dollar contract?2024-08-131h 11
Offline & UnfilteredE12 - Tales From The Internet - Digging Through r/antiworkWelcome to today's episode for a unique conversation. Megan, a borderline Reddit obsessive reads Lakisha, a reddit novice, a collection of tales from one of the most popular subreddits, r/antiwork. After each story we ask ourselves; Do we think the story is real?What went wrong here?What advice would you give the poster?What could someone do in a similar circumstance? Should they just quit their job?The antiwork subreddit is an online community on Reddit where users discuss issues related to work, labor, and employment. Topics often include critiques of capitalism...2024-07-301h 02
Offline & UnfilteredE11 - Finding Deeper Meaning with Nick DugganOn this show, our favorite conversations are the ones that result in a shift in perspective. The ones that challenge us to put ideas and language around things we either believe strongly about, or never even considered. So, when our guest Nick Duggan wanted to discuss the concept of Workplace Spirituality, recognizing our host's vastly different outlooks on this topic, we knew we were in for an interesting episode. Nick has been developing people and organizations for more than 20 years, and is passionate about making work more meaningful for all. As the founder...2024-07-161h 08
Offline & UnfilteredE10 - What Your Boss Is Thinking with Jane YanPeople don't quit jobs, they quit bosses. If you spend any time on TikTok, you can get lost in the sea of clever, passionate, or comedic videos of frustrated employees complaining about their bosses. While these videos are certainly entertaining, rarely do we get to hear the other side of the story. This trend grabbed the attention of our guest today, who wanted to answer the question "what is your boss thinking?" Jane Yan is an award-winning digital innovation and business builder with over half a billion dollars in ge...2024-07-021h 13
Offline & UnfilteredE09 - Rok Your Passion with KiaraWhat happens when you take a reluctant podcast host and exercise novice to a reformer Pilates class for "research" purposes?You end up with two closet confessionals and an in depth discussion centered around the complex relationship many of us have with exercise. From folks who see it as a necessary evil, to those who can turn it into a successful career and community. Our guest this week is Kiara, who is the owner of BODYROK in Santa Barbara, CA. BODYROK is a Pilates-inspired workout on a reformer machine...2024-06-181h 17
Offline & UnfilteredE08 - What Advice Would You Give Your Younger Self?On this episode Lakisha and Megan break down different lessons they have learned throughout their career. They discuss how they've grown, how they've failed, how they've embraced or resisted change, and more. Our hosts share stories, reflect, laugh and also get a bit uncomfortable.What advice would you give your younger self? Would you want to? Would you want to change the way you've done something in your past? Let's dig into it on this introspective episode.Media Mentioned In This Episode:Mass Tech Layoffs? Just Another...2024-06-041h 16
Offline & UnfilteredE07 - The Curse of the Achiever with Lauren Lefkowitz"The reward for good work is more work." On this week's episode, Lakisha and Megan welcome Lauren Lefkowitz to the show to have a deep conversation on how achievers and people pleasers can set better boundaries and begin to take their lives back.Lauren is an Executive Coach, partnering with executives and emerging leaders who have gotten to the middle of their careers and think, this is IT? It’s fine…I guess. She works with humans who are ready to find joy, excitement, challenge, and balance in their careers...and have a personal life to l...2024-05-211h 04
Offline & UnfilteredE06 - Channeling History into Purpose with Charina GarciaOn this episode, we continue on the complex topic of immigration with our guest Charina Garcia. Charina is an immigration attorney and a Strategy and Innovation Partner at WR Immigration, one of the world’s leading business immigration law firms. For over two decades, Charina has guided thousands of HR professionals from start-ups to Fortune 500 companies through the employment-based immigration process. In recent years, she has led the development of WRapidTM, the industry's leading immigration case management platform that streamlines global workforce management and compliance for corporate HR and global mobility teams. In our conversation, we tack...2024-05-071h 02
Offline & UnfilteredE05 - Going a Layer Deeper on the Child Labor CrisisWelcome to today's episode, where our hosts discuss an overlooked and escalating issue. Child labor isn't just a chapter in history; it's a troubling present reality. Federal regulators report a 69% increase in companies employing underage workers since 2018. Recent reporting has uncovered children working graveyard shifts for household names, and suffering staggering injuries such as chemical burns and amputations. Although legal actions are taken, the fines imposed often barely dent the bottom lines of these large corporations. This is a complex issue that touches many spaces, but our hosts today focus is on HR: where do they stand in this...2024-04-231h 03
Offline & UnfilteredE04 - Don't Strive to be 100 with Gabriel GutierrezTrigger Warning: This episode contains conversations about domestic violence and mental health that may be difficult for some listeners.***On this episode, we welcome Gabriel Gutierrez to the show. Gabriel is a Creative Developer in the Arts & Mental Health industries, as a Certified Peer Counselor, plus as an Independent Game Developer, DJ & Spoken Word Artist. He is also a WRAP Certified & "Lived Experience" Trainer + Support Group Facilitator. We discussed how Gabriel uses his journey and creative passion to support and empower others at work and in their daily lives. We also talked about t...2024-04-091h 35
Offline & UnfilteredE03 - The Art of the Pivot with Kenyetta HallOn this episode Lakisha and Megan welcome Kenyetta Hall to chat about finding alignment, defining success, and becoming a disruptor of your own life.Kenyetta is CEO of The Katalyst HQ where she partners with entrepreneurs and organizations to implement strategies for business sustainability, develop customized software solutions, and help product leaders and teams to build with agility.She has over 15 years of experience working in various corporate sectors focused on business strategy, product growth, and digital transformation. In September of 2020, she was let go from her job and made a decision to bet on...2024-03-261h 07
Offline & UnfilteredE02 - If They Could Pay You Less... A Conversation on Minimum Wage“I used to work at McDonald's making minimum wage. You know what that means when someone pays you minimum wage? You know what your boss was trying to say? "Hey if I could pay you less, I would, but it's against the law.” - Chris Rock, SNL, 1991On this episode, Lakisha and Megan discuss how the math aint mathing when it comes to Minimum Wage in America, even with California's new standard for Fast Food and Healthcare workers. They debate what the new $20 per hour requirement will mean for these industries, and share their own...2024-03-121h 00
Offline & UnfilteredE01 - Intro & Hustle Culture is Dead...?Welcome to Offline & Unfiltered! In our inaugural episode, our hosts Lakisha and Megan take us thorough their backgrounds and unique perspectives that brought them to this very moment. Later in the episode, our hosts discuss the definition and dangers of hustle culture, and how the push to strive for more has impacted both of their careers. We are an independently run podcast. We're excited to take this journey with you, thank you for listening.
If you like our show, please share with your network. You can also rate and review the show wherever you...2024-02-271h 28