Recruiting EQ

Recent Episodes

1. Recruiting EQ E103: Wired Different-Neurodivergent Hiring in the Age of AI

   Jul 27, 2026

   Russell Van Brocklin, a New York State-funded dyslexia researcher and educator, discusses how neurodivergent individuals—particularly those with dyslexia—possess distinct cognitive strengths that can be amplified through AI tools like Claude. The conversation explores dyslexia not as a deficit but as a difference in brain wiring that excels at specialized, narrowly-focused work, and demonstrates how proper use of AI (via high-thinking models and agentic workflows) can unlock productivity for both dyslexic knowledge workers and organizations hiring neurodivergent talent. Van Brocklin shares practical recruiting and problem-statement methodologies applicable across industries.

2. Recruiting EQ E102: EQ Hiring - The Person, Not The Resume with Kati Peterman

   Jul 20, 2026

   Kati Peterman, founder and CEO of FRX (Fractional Executive), discusses her mission to provide startups access to top-level executives and operational talent on a flexible, fractional basis. The conversation explores emotional intelligence in hiring, the importance of identifying whether founders are visionaries or operators, and the shift in entrepreneurial culture post-COVID. Peterman emphasizes hiring for human traits—resilience, learning ability, and integrity—over credentials alone, and advocates for a balanced approach to AI adoption that augments rather than replaces human expertise.

3. Recruiting EQ E101: EdTech and the Future of Education with HireEducation

   Jul 13, 2026

   Jess Weems, President and CEO of HireEducation, discusses the evolving edtech landscape with co-guest Emmett Cullen. The episode explores how edtech extends far beyond student-facing software to encompass K-12, higher education, and workforce development solutions. Key themes include the post-COVID shifts in education funding priorities, the decline of corporate L&D, the rise of experiential learning, and the workforce talent gaps facing both schools and corporations. Weems shares her unconventional career path from classroom teacher to marketer to recruiting agency owner, highlighting how mission-driven culture shapes the edtech sector.

4. Recruiting EQ E100: Featuring Alexis Alvarez, founder of Career Rockstars

   Jul 3, 2026

   Alexis Alvarez, founder and CEO of Career Rockstars, discusses her journey from HBO Europe to founding an executive search firm focused on diversity in private equity, hedge funds, and venture capital. She emphasizes the importance of broadening candidate pools beyond traditional playbook hiring, the critical role of emotional intelligence and relationship-building in the investment space, and how AI will shift hiring priorities toward uniquely human skills. Alvarez also shares her philosophy on embracing discomfort, personal branding, and leveraging unconventional approaches to stand out in traditionally conservative industries.

5. Recruiting EQ E99: Have You Considered a Franchise? with Rich Potter

   Jun 29, 2026

   Rich Potter, a franchise consultant and business owner based in Phoenix, Arizona, discusses his career trajectory from electronics sales to entrepreneurship and his current work helping people start businesses through franchising. The conversation covers the changing job market, AI's impact on employment, and the growing opportunities in franchise ownership across diverse industries including home services, senior care, recruiting, and wellness. Potter explains how franchise brokerages work, highlights some of the hottest franchise sectors, and explores franchising as a viable alternative to traditional employment for people at various career stages.

6. Recruiting EQ E98: Keeping Focus on Humans in an Efficiency-Driven Economy

   Jun 22, 2026

   John Pezoulas, co-founder of Ready Set Exec, a boutique executive search firm based in Ottawa, discusses the tension between automation and human-centered recruiting in an efficiency-driven economy. With 20 years in recruiting across staffing, enterprise search, and executive placement, John shares his perspective on AI's role in sourcing, the current economic climate's impact on hiring, and his bootstrapped firm's content-marketing strategy—including monthly events, a weekly podcast, and LinkedIn presence—to differentiate in a competitive market.

7. Recruiting EQ E97: The Urgent Need to Humanize Your Brand w/Wes Towers of Uplift 360

   Jun 16, 2026

   Wes Towers, founder of Uplift 360, a digital agency serving trades and construction industries in Australia for over 20 years, discusses how emotional intelligence and authentic human connection remain critical business differentiators in an era of AI-driven automation. He explores how understanding clients deeply—through psychological shadow work and empathetic listening—enables designers and marketers to uncover genuine brand distinctions that AI cannot replicate, and argues that humanized storytelling and imperfect authenticity are essential to standing out in commoditized markets.

8. Recruiting EQ E96: Are Resumes Relevant? w Sean Grifith, Founder of Truffle

   Jun 8, 2026

   Sean Griffith, founder of Truffle, discusses how the resume and candidate screening process has become broken on both sides—employers are overwhelmed with applications while candidates face cynicism and rejection. Truffle is a candidate screening platform that combines one-way video interviews, assessments, and resume analysis to provide recruiters with richer signal on candidates beyond keyword matching, using AI to surface meaningful evidence of qualifications rather than relying on resume optimization tactics.

9. Recruiting EQ E95: Branding-Forward BD and Recruitment with Alexis Meschi

   Jun 1, 2026

   Alexis Meschi, co-founder of Ora Marketing, discusses her done-for-you marketing agency specifically serving recruitment and staffing firms. The conversation covers the importance of personal branding and human storytelling in an AI-driven world, the universal hesitation people face about being the face of their brand, and how authentic positioning beats formulaic tactics. Meschi draws on her background as a high school English teacher and personal brand consultant to explain why the 'human sticker' will become increasingly valuable as AI commoditizes marketing outputs.

10. Recruiting EQ E94: How To Choose The Right Retained Firm w Sue Hendrickson

    May 25, 2026

    Sue Hendrickson, Managing Partner of Leadership Advisory Group, discusses how organizations should evaluate and select retained executive search firms. Drawing on her experience across boutique, large corporate, and in-house search roles, she outlines four key decision-making frameworks: the lead partner and their involvement, assessment capability and behavioral interviewing, culture fit and culture add, and level of service and execution. The conversation emphasizes the importance of EQ, empathy, and human judgment in executive search—particularly in closing candidates and navigating private equity dynamics—and explores how search firms should extend the client's brand while maintaining authentic candidate engagement.