Episodes

Roxy Couse spent almost 15 years in corporate, working her way up to a director title at Fortune 500 companies. She played by every rule, hit every mark, exceeds expectations on every review. So when she sat down with her boss's boss and asked what else she needed to do to get promoted, she expected an answer she could act on...

AI search citations are the newest piece of real estate on the internet, and creators may be one of the fastest ways for brands to claim it. Most brand deals are still measured through reach, clicks, and conversions. Meanwhile, answer engines are shaping which companies get mentioned when buyers ask ChatGPT, Perplexity, or Google who to trust. Almost nobody is pricing creator partnerships around that value yet. This conversation was never supposed to become an episode. Rhona Pierce invited Je...

Getting laid off made Deidre “Dee” Henry question everything she believed about her professional value. Instead of publishing a polished gratitude post and asking for another job, she told the truth about what happened and asked people to hire her. That decision became the starting point for The Sales Loft. It also helped lead to Microsoft partnerships, a CNBC feature, an appearance on the same stage as Kerry Washington, and a business built around Dee’s expertise. In this episode, Dee joi...

Creators were supposed to leave corporate behind. Now some of them are going back — and companies are creating roles specifically for people with creator experience. Lissette Calveiro has spent nearly 15 years in the creator and influencer marketing industry and managed more than $10 million in brand partnerships. Today, she’s watching the creator economy evolve in an unexpected direction: creators are bringing their skills back into companies, while companies are realizing they need creators...

Most creators assume they need a huge following to land brand deals. They don't. Lloyd George has been on both sides of the creator economy. He's worked inside major agencies running campaigns for brands like Coca-Cola, Kevin Hart, and The Rock, while building his own creator business on the side. Now he's gone full-time as a creator and freelancer. In this episode of Workfluencer, Lloyd pulls back the curtain on what actually happens when brands decide which creators to hire—and why fo...

Brand deals rarely come from playing it safe inside your niche. Kristi Kennebrew built Get Me Hired Kristi into a career brand with hundreds of thousands of followers, then landed sponsorships nobody expects from a recruiter turned creator: a World Cup activation, a mattress pitch, even a fly trap brand. She never quit her day job to do it. Host Rhona Pierce talks with Kennebrew about how she pitches lifestyle and mainstream brands by connecting everyday products to her audience's real lives, no...

How do you come up with newsletter ideas every week? If you write anything on a schedule, you've felt this pain. Hebba Youssef writes I Hate It Here, one of the biggest newsletters in HR, and she used to do what most of us do: wake up on Sunday and pick a random thought. It worked until it didn't. "It's really stressful when you're trying to be creative in the chaos." Her fix: pick one theme per quarter, then break it into 12 newsletters that build on each other. Readers get a continuous s...

Hosting an event is easy. Building a community that people return to month after month is much harder. In this episode of Workfluencer, Rhona sits down with Chaselle Gazelle, founder of Jacksonville Bestie, to explore what separates unforgettable in-person events from forgettable networking mixers. Chaselle shares how she turned casual brunches with friends into one of Jacksonville's most recognizable community brands, why relationships matter more than transactions, and how busin...

Most people spend months preparing for a single DisruptHR presentation. Ashlynne Valdez delivered two different talks in 30 days, won Best Speaker at one event, and helps select speakers for DisruptHR Las Vegas. In this episode, we go behind the scenes of DisruptHR to explore what separates a good talk from a great one. Ashlynne shares how she develops topics, finds a disruptive angle, prepares for the fast-paced five-minute format, and what organizers are really looking for when reviewing sp...

Most LinkedIn advice teaches you how to fit in. Jillian Richardson believes the opposite. In this episode of Workfluencer, Rhona sits down with one of LinkedIn's most recognizable ghostwriters to discuss why being a little weird might be your biggest advantage online. Jillian shares the story behind her viral "Be Weird on LinkedIn" movement, what founders get wrong about personal branding, and why authenticity is becoming the best defense against AI-generated content. They also discuss emp...

What does it take to turn years of workplace observations into a published book? In this episode of Workfluencer, Abi Adamson shares the story behind her debut book, Culture Blooming: Nurturing Workplaces Where People Grow. From witnessing favoritism, discrimination, and toxic leadership to developing her own workplace culture framework, Abi explains how she transformed real-world experiences into a book designed to help leaders create better workplaces. Abi pulls back the curtain on the p...

Most creators think they need a massive audience before brands will take them seriously. Chad Sowash says that's nonsense! In this episode of Workfluencer, Chad shares how he and his co-host, Joel Cheesman, built the Chad & Cheese podcast into a profitable business from day one, why most creators dramatically undervalue themselves, and what brands are actually buying when they sponsor content. We discuss why niche audiences outperform vanity metrics, how to create sponsorship packages that...

Strong POV content feels risky for most creators, but Jillian O'Malior built her audience by removing the corporate pleasing filter completely. After being laid off in November 2024, she ran a 90-day experiment leaning into “strategically unhinged” content about layoffs, labor reform, and the dehumanization of workers — and the inbound work, brand deals, and podcast invites started rolling in. In this episode of Workfluencer, Rhona Pierce sits down with brand strategist and workplace advocate...

Most conferences focus on information. Anna Morgan focused on belonging. In this episode of Workfluencer, Anna takes us behind the scenes of building Evolve — a fast-growing HR and recruiting conference brand built around trust, community, and real human connection. From hosting LinkedIn audio rooms and recruiter communities to executive dinners and a full-scale conference ecosystem, Anna shares how she turned years of relationship-building into one of the most community-driven experiences...

What if candidates were lining up before you even posted the job? In this episode, Rhona sits down with Bradley Clark to break down how his team turned honest, transparent employer branding into a high-performing talent engine. They get into why most employer branding fails, how transparency filters in the right candidates (and repels the wrong ones), and the exact system behind their “early access” hiring strategy that drives 60% of hires before jobs ever hit job boards. This is a t...

How do you actually turn content into clients—especially when you’re just starting out? In this episode, we unpack what it really looks like to build in public and use content as more than just a visibility play. Not polished. Not hindsight. Real-time. Preston recently left corporate and is building his business from the ground up, documenting the process as he goes. That means sharing what’s working, what’s not, and how his approach to content has shifted from “just posting” to something ...

Most people get laid off and go quiet. Vanita Capobianco did the opposite. She started creating content, launched a podcast, and began building a personal brand from scratch. No audience. No experience. No roadmap. In this episode, we break down what actually happens after a layoff—and how to turn that moment into momentum. Vanita shares how she built consistency, found her voice, and created opportunities by showing up online. We also get into the real side of content creation. Late ni...

If you’re constantly consuming content but still struggling to come up with ideas… this episode is your reset. Jeff Harry argues that the problem isn’t a lack of inspiration, it’s too much input. In this episode, we break down why overconsumption leads to overthinking, how that blocks creativity, and what actually helps you generate better content ideas (hint: it’s not more scrolling). You’ll learn how to: Stop relying on inspiration from other creators Break out of the doomscrollin...

At Transform 2026, I sat down with Rebecca Taylor to unpack what’s really holding HR and Talent leaders back from showing up online—and why that needs to change. We get into the real risks, the perceived risks, and the responsibility that comes with having a voice in HR. Because whether you’re posting or not, the narrative is being shaped—with or without you. Rebecca also shares a deeply personal career story that highlights how power, identity, and early decisions can shape everything tha...

I just got back from Transform 2026 and had way too much time before my flight… so I made my own awards show. This is a fun, unfiltered recap of what stood out. The swag. The activations. The people. The random moments you don’t see in the polished LinkedIn posts. Some brands nailed it. Some tried. Some just gave out tote bags. If you were there, this will hit. If you weren’t, this is the version you actually want. In This Episode The best swag (yes, it matters) The activation I ...

Employee generated content already outperforms every job ad you are paying for — and most companies still haven't figured out why. The real tension here isn't whether EGC works. It's that brands keep trying to control a conversation that's already happening without them. In this episode, Rhona Pierce sits down with Tracey Parsons, recruitment marketing veteran and founder of Flockity, to unpack why employee voices convert candidates better than any sponsored post or job board listing. They cove...

Most advice about LinkedIn content says the same thing: follow trends, post consistently, and play the algorithm. But what if that’s exactly why your content isn’t standing out? In this episode, leadership strategist Julia Rock breaks down how to stand out on LinkedIn without copying trends, chasing viral formats, or sounding like everyone else. She shares what actually drives meaningful engagement, how to build authority through content, and why authenticity matters more than ever in a cr...

Building a consulting business through content sounds simple. In reality, it requires clarity, conviction, and a willingness to say things others avoid. In this episode of Workfluencer, talent, culture, and DEI consultant Dani Herrera shares how LinkedIn content became the engine behind her consulting business. Dani didn’t start posting to become a creator. She started out of necessity while navigating the U.S. immigration system and needing to prove visibility in her field. What began as ...

Personal branding for women over 40 who feel invisible is rarely about a lack of expertise. It's about two decades of keeping your head down, taking care of everyone else, and forgetting to tell the world what you know. In this episode, Monica Rivera breaks down what it actually takes to stop hiding and step into the visibility you've already earned. Together, Rhona Pierce and Monica unpack why experienced women, especially women over 40, feel invisible even after 20 years of building skil...