In The Business of Humans

Learn the ins and outs, and the "dos and don'ts" of working with the HR function effectively, in any workplace! Lynda and Joe are joined by Morgan Montgomery-Rice, current Founder + Fractional Head of People at Bloom Bridge Advisors; former HR / People / Finance / Operations leader at fantastic brands like Sundays for Dogs; IBM and much more; and holder of an MBA from Northeastern's D'Amore-McKim School of Business. Just as Lynda and Joe always aspire to bring a senior leadership, "insider" view to workplace situations and dynamics, Morgan is able to go a step further and present the insider perspective of the HR function -- specifically as Exec / Head of HR across fantastic industries and brands. Join this trio as we discuss challenging, nuanced and juicy workplace situations from all sides of the equation, in an episode that should be equally educational, actionable and entertaining.

Join Joe and Lynda as they discuss practical, actionable tips and related career anecdotes around this hot topic of career networking! (Well, this is after they get over a case of the giggles, tell awkward stories and talk about CX nightmares out there in the real world)"Networking" as a term tends to be polarizing; with a minority of folks feeling confidence and giddiness on the topic, while the majority of folks assume they're bad at it, hate it, or couldn't be bothered. Or some combo within. Our definition of networking is centered around the idea of *human connections* - making them, nurturing them, and embracing these relationships as sources of career-long joy, fulfillment and mutual benefit. See, that doesn't sound so terrible, does it?Joe and Lynda hope that this deep-dive feels approachable, interesting and actionable - the New Networking Guide for Normal People!

"If you don't focus on your personal brand, you're giving up control over what that brand might be" - Alexa DePasquale, Brand + Strategy ExecutiveJoin Lynda and Joe for this and many other powerful insights from our first ever guest on the pod, Alexa, as we together explore the topic of personal branding.More than just a buzzword or something that we get to opt in or out of, personal branding is a crucial aspect of career development. And you're always developing your own brand, whether you like it or not. So why not lean in, feel empowered, take control of that brand, and maximize its utility in your career and life! Be intentional. Be in control.

Ahh, navigating Social Media in 2026. Our social accounts like Instagram, TikTok, Facebook etc. are our personal accounts and we can say whatever we want without it impacting our career, right? (totally wrong!)What about LinkedIn - where does it fit in?Join Lynda + Joe as they break down social media guardrails in the lens of career progression, and survival! There will be cautionary tales along the way; grimaces; laughs; and even the story of when Joe got slightly spicy with a LinkedIn comment, all in the name of defending his good friend and a fantastic social media creator: Lynda!

Toxic Workplaces! Let's confront this somewhat taboo but wildly important dynamic in many of our careers. Lynda and Joe fully take the gloves off (if there were any gloves left before this) and discuss toxic workplaces from all angles: how to define and identify them; how to survive them; or in some cases walk away from them altogether. Hear candid stories and takeaways from Lynda and Joe's combined 40+ years of leadership experience across top brands. For the hosts, too many years navigating toxicity drove them, in part, to break off on their own in an effort to cultivate their own career experience. But we know many of our listeners haven't made that leap - and we hope this episode feels helpful, actionable ... even cathartic for them!

Have you ever been told to "bring your whole self to work"?Well, so have we. And at first, it sounds great. But what happens when you confide and vent to the wrong person? Or bring a side of your self to the company retreat that maybe should have been left at home? Now - it's feeling a little more complicated (or worse, you're out of a job).Join Lynda and Joe as they discuss the myth of bringing your whole self to work, and how to strike a better balance: staying authentic, while being okay with only bringing the 90% of your self which belongs in the workplace.

Join us on the 1st step of our podcasting journey: the Pilot episode of The Business of Humans! Here is the setup: what do you get when you take a former manager + report combo from the glory days of Daily Harvest, who are now real-life friends ... one a management coach and sudden viral internet star who shoots from the hip, and the other a CX Exec-turned-Advisor who overthinks everything?This podcast! Welcome to The Business of Humans. Featuring Lynda Harvey, the founder of LeveledUp Leadership -- and the internet star. Plus Joe Gilgoff, founder of CX Joe Advisory -- and the overthinker. Between us we have 40+ years of leadership experience, spanning across mega successful startups like AG1 and SeatGeek, to industry behomeths like AMEX + Verizon. Join us as we talk about business; relationships; humanity; success and also failure, through the lens of friendship, heaps of radical transparency and honesty ... and zero BS.In our Pilot episode, we share more abour our career journeys; the basis of our unlikely; professional and life friendship; and why the heck we hope our podcast is worth listening to! Tune in and let us know what you think.