Episodes

What if someone stole your entire career — your résumé, portfolio, headshot, even your home address? In this Workfluencer Trend Report, Rhona explores the real case of freelance writer Jolissa Skow, who discovered an imposter had been living her professional life since 2023. The impersonator used Jolissa’s identity to land contract work, participate in Slack, attend camera-off meetings, and even get paid — all while colleagues believed they were working with her. Based on Jolissa’s public ...

Matt Alder, host of Recruiting Future and co-host of The Alder Hour, has spent over 15 years shaping how the recruiting industry talks about work. With nearly 800 episodes published, his podcast is one of the most trusted sources for talent acquisition insights. In this conversation, Rhona and Matt chat about how Recruiting Future became the go-to recruiting podcast and what it really takes to build authority through consistency. You’ll hear: Why consistency matters more than virality in pod...

Your employees may be your best influencers—but how do you pay them fairly when they start creating content for your brand? In this episode I sit down with compensation strategist Cynthia Abbott-Kerr, founder of WellPay.ai, to explore how companies can design clear, simple, and fair systems to reward employee content creators. From commission structures and affiliate links to ownership rights and tax considerations, Cynthia shares practical strategies for building employee-creator programs...

Building a personal brand in today’s job market isn’t about chasing viral posts—it’s about showing up authentically. In this special takeover episode, recruiter-turned-founder Brooke Wheeler flips the mic on Workfluencer creator Rhona Pierce. Together they dive into how to build your personal brand with honesty, how layoffs and career pivots can fuel reinvention, and why companies fail when they try to script employer branding. If you’ve wondered what to share online, how vulnerable to be,...

It doesn’t get more Gen Z than making a TikTok to get hired at TikTok—and that’s exactly what Jade Walters did. But she didn’t stop there. From landing jobs to landing on the TEDx stage, Jade has used content creation to build a career on her own terms. In this episode, she shares how content became her biggest career tool, what Gen Z really wants from work, and why boundaries at work aren’t red flags—they’re strategy. CONNECT WITH US: Connect With Jade on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.c...

What happens when employee advocacy moves beyond “posting on LinkedIn” and into creating full-blown branded content? Should those employees be paid like influencers? In this episode of Workfluencer, employment lawyer and creator Heather Bussing joins Rhona to explore how companies can compensate employee-creators fairly and compliantly. We dig into: Why paying employees for branded content builds trust and authenticity How to classify and compensate employee-creators without misste...

LinkedIn can be overwhelming, especially for introverts. But what if your quiet approach is actually your superpower? In this episode, certified career coach and LinkedIn Top Voice Lissa Appiah shares how she built a personal brand that converts—without being loud, posting daily, or faking confidence. You’ll learn how to: Build a personal brand on LinkedIn as an introvert Turn your side hustle into a full-time business Grow visibility without burning out Use conten...

Most people think building a community is about finding a niche and hoping people show up. Jeremy Lyons knows better—he’s the man behind the RecOps community. From launching the first RecOps conference to building the widely read RecOps Roundup newsletter, Jeremy has turned a behind-the-scenes role into a movement. In this episode, we dig into: The four (sometimes five) pillars of Recruiting Operations—and why employer branding belongs in the mix. How Jeremy built the RecOps commun...

Zach Nunn, founder of Living Corporate, pulls back the curtain on what it takes to create authentic content about race and identity in the workplace. From deleting episodes with problematic guests to calling out patronizing DEI storytelling, Zach shares why most corporate diversity content misses the mark and how to create conversations that actually matter. What You'll Learn: Why Zach sometimes doesn't release podcast episodes (including one with a tech executive) The problem with DEI...

Most recruiter content chases likes with recycled talking points or surface-level tips. Andrew Lewis took another route, building an audience of 45K+ by sharing practical, in-the-trenches insights from his work as Head of Talent at Worldly. In this episode, we dig into how he found his voice, curates with intention, balances authority and vulnerability, and uses content to boost both employer brand and career opportunities. If you’ve been struggling to find your voice, avoid the copy-paste tr...

In this bonus episode, recorded live at SHRM 2025, Rhona Pierce interviews Tara Amaral, a veteran talent acquisition expert. Tara shares practical strategies for building effective recruiting functions, highlighting the importance of simple, repeatable processes, data-driven decision-making, and thoughtful change management. She discusses how organizations of all sizes can optimize hiring, leverage technology and AI wisely, and foster strategic partnerships. Tara emphasizes the enduring value of...

When two established HR professionals decide to launch a podcast together, what could go wrong? According to Desiree Goldey and Ashley King, co-hosts of the new Talentless podcast, quite a lot – and that's exactly what made their partnership stronger. In this episode of Workfluencer, we dive deep into their journey from recording "absolutely trash" episodes to building a mission-driven show that's already generating buzz in the talent acquisition space. If you're considering launching a podca...

In this bonus episode, recorded live at SHRM 2025, Rhona Pierce interviews Haggai, co-founder of Bites, a platform revolutionizing training and communication for frontline employees. Haggai explains how Bites transforms existing materials into TikTok-style microlearning videos, integrates with popular messaging apps, and achieves high engagement without users needing corporate email addresses. He discusses the unique challenges of training frontline workers, Bites’ seamless user experience, and ...

Can you really master LinkedIn monetization and personal branding without quitting your 9–5? Bonnie Dilber proves it’s possible. As a recruiting manager at Zapier and a recognized LinkedIn content creation expert, Bonnie has built a thriving LinkedIn presence of over 440,000 followers—all while leading a recruiting team and managing high-value brand partnerships. In this episode, Bonnie reveals the exact LinkedIn content creation strategies that fueled her growth, the boundaries she sets betw...

What happens when a trained playwright enters the corporate world? Tara Turk-Haynes, founder of Equity Activations and former VP of DEI and Talent Acquisition, reveals how theatrical storytelling techniques can revolutionize workplace content, build authentic community, and challenge power dynamics from within the system. In this episode, Tara shares her unique framework for finding story-worthy moments in everyday workplace situations, the difference between content that gets engagement vers...

What happens when you want to build your personal brand, but your company isn’t on board? This week on the Workfluencer Podcast, Tiffany Tate flips the mic and interviews our host, Rhona Pierce, about what it really takes to grow your influence as a working professional. They dive into how to build a personal brand, protect your career, and create content that resonates without burning out. If you’ve ever wondered how to start posting, what to share, or how to navigate corporate boundaries, t...

Lorna Erickson and Victoria Gates turned their decades of interviewing expertise into a profitable content business—landing 30+ brand deals worth six figures in under two years. Here's exactly how they did it, plus the tactical steps you can take this week to land your first partnership. In this episode, Rhona, Victoria & Lorna will discuss: How to identify profitable niches within your expertise area (even if they seem "smaller") The exact DM formula that landed them an $18,000 brand ...

When HR executive Jessica Winder decided to share her sobriety journey on LinkedIn, her family warned it would destroy her career. Instead, it became her most powerful content and helped hundreds of professionals struggling in silence. In this episode of Workfluencer, Jessica reveals how she built authentic influence while navigating executive roles, why she finally embraced video content after years of resistance, and the real cost of speaking truth to power in corporate America. Whether you...

Ever wondered what it really takes to create those polished conference recaps you see flooding LinkedIn? Rachel Bourne and Lydia Wu teamed up to create daily conference recaps at Unleash America - and what they discovered about event content creation will change how you think about conference coverage. From managing exhaustion while filming to dealing with people walking through your shots, this episode reveals the strategic and chaotic reality behind those polished recaps flooding your Linke...

What happens when your newsletter becomes the unofficial therapy session for HR professionals everywhere? In this episode, Rhona sits down with Hebba Youssef, Chief People Officer at Workweek and the creator of I Hate It Here, one of the most read and reshared newsletters in the People space. Known for her honest tone and spicy memes, Hebba has built a brand that balances leadership credibility with creative chaos. We unpack what it really looks like to speak truthfully in public while sti...

When candidates ghost your hiring process before the first interview, it’s easy to blame the job market. But what if the real problem is trust ? In this episode of Workfluencer , we’re joined by Meghan Cantrell, Senior Manager of Talent Acquisition at OxBlue, who shares how she tackled candidate ghosting head-on by turning hiring managers into video creators. With no production budget and no marketing team, Meghan used short, authentic hiring manager videos to boost skills assessment complet...

Mike Peditto didn’t plan to go full-time as a content creator—at least not yet. But after building a massive audience with his no-BS job search videos, the timing came sooner than expected. Now with over 100 million views and a growing community across TikTok, LinkedIn, and Instagram, Mike creates content that job seekers love—and some internet trolls love to hate . In this episode, he shares what it really takes to create content that grabs attention, builds trust, and gets results. We ...

If AI can help you move faster… can it also make you sound just like everyone else? In this episode—recorded live at Transform—Rhona sits down with Trent Cotton , HR executive, content creator, and certified AI nerd (his words, not ours), to talk about the real risks of letting AI take over your voice. They get into what authenticity really means in content creation, how to tell if someone’s phoning it in with automation, and why the messy middle —between efficiency and originality—is exactly...

If HR wants to shape the future of work, it has to be part of the conversation. At Transform 2025, I sat down with John Baldino—HR exec, speaker, and co-host of But First, Coffee —to talk about why content isn’t just for marketers anymore. We got into what it really means to stay visible without being performative, and how creating content can help HR leaders build trust, attract talent, and show up as more than a job title. Whether you’re already posting or still thinking about it, this one...