After realizing his dreams of playing in the NHL might not happen, Troy Vollhoffer went from scrapping with the captain of the Boston Bruins to fighting to get his production company off the ground. After decades of putting on the largest country music festivals in the world, Troy Vollhoffer has no signs of slowing down. It’s a special episode of On The Bus, as Country Thunder CEO Troy Vollhoffer hands the wheel over to his good friend Nick Meinema. Growing up in an entertainment household is how Troy got bit by the showbiz bug. Troy reveals to Nick how he went from poolside milkshakes with Redd Foxx to growing up and overseeing the longest-running country music festival in North America. Nick has Troy share some of his favorite Country Thunder moments and reflect on how special it is to work with megastars like Reba McEntire, George Strait, and Taylor Swift.…
I’m Roxanne Petraeus—CEO at Ethena, Army vet, and mom—joined by Melanie Naranjo, our CPO and animal mom. Together, we talk about all things HR: the hiring fails, the leadership wins (and disasters), and the stuff you’d never hear in a corporate training. This is candid, messy, and way too fun to be a boring business podcast.
I’m Roxanne Petraeus—CEO at Ethena, Army vet, and mom—joined by Melanie Naranjo, our CPO and animal mom. Together, we talk about all things HR: the hiring fails, the leadership wins (and disasters), and the stuff you’d never hear in a corporate training. This is candid, messy, and way too fun to be a boring business podcast.
Are college degrees even still relevant to get a job? Unlimited PTO might actually work. And the way we talk at work? Let’s just say disagreements escalate a lot faster than they used to. From clashing opinions online to tension creeping into team meetings, it feels like workplace conversations have a new edge. We unpack it all—unfiltered and a little messy.…
What does it really look like when a CEO leads with people first? In this episode, Ben Sesser — CEO & co-founder of BrightHire — sits down with Roxanne Petraeus and Melanie Naranjo to unpack the realities of modern leadership. From navigating PR crises and taking ownership of mistakes, to staying calm under pressure and hiring with intention, Ben shares candid insights from building a company used by 600+ organizations worldwide. The conversation touches on vulnerability, accountability, and the hidden weight of being a CEO — while also digging into practical hiring strategies, structured interviews, and the future of AI in recruiting. Whether you’re scaling a startup or leading a team through uncertainty, this episode delivers both human perspective and tactical takeaways.…
In this episode of We’re not recording, Roxanne Petraeus and Melanie Naranjo explore why HR leaders deserve a permanent seat in the boardroom. With guest Katelin Holloway (Founding Partner at 776, former Reddit HR exec), the conversation unpacks how people strategy drives business outcomes, why culture clarity matters more than perks, and how HR’s influence expands when leaders move beyond compliance into performance. From the myth of “People Ops rebrands” to the real lessons of the Netflix culture deck, Katelin makes the case for why HR leaders can’t just track payroll—they should be shaping company strategy. And she explains how that boardroom perspective inspired her pivot into investing, where she’s backing the next generation of founders and making the case for funding women.…
Roxanne Petraeus and Melanie Naranjo sit down with Kelli Dragovich, four-time CPO and co-creator of HR Heretics, for a candid conversation about today’s toughest workplace challenges. They unpack: Why traditional benefits often backfire (and what actually matters most to employees). The rise in hostility between workers and leaders—from viral CEO takedowns to candidate feedback. How LinkedIn can turn into a battleground (even over treadmill desks). Why younger generations won’t tolerate toxic workplaces—no matter the paycheck. From plain-speak communication to the “ultimate benefit” of working with great people, this episode gets real about how companies and employees can find common ground in a tense environment.…
Layoffs announced to the wrong people. A CEO’s very personal voicemail sent company-wide. Salary spreadsheets dropped in Slack for all to see. Roxanne Petraeus and Melanie Naranjo react to LinkedIn’s juiciest workplace horror stories — the kind you can’t unhear.
Roxanne and Melanie go down the rabbit hole of AI Agent Mode—yes, the one that can take your compliance training for you. What starts as a conversation about fake receipts turns into a bigger question: when tech makes it easier to cheat, do more people cheat? They swap McKinsey expense horror stories, debate Netflix vs. Army-style trust models, and wonder if the real fix isn’t more controls, but better culture. Plus, a detour into teenage fanfiction ethics and why sometimes the “solution” in compliance is just having the uncomfortable conversation.…
When Ethena announced it would start including “AI fluency” in performance reviews, half the managers pushed back—hard. Roxanne Petraeus and Melanie Naranjo, joined by Ashley Herd of Manager Method, unpack why leadership thought AI adoption was on track while managers felt blindsided. They dig into the disconnect between CEOs, managers, and employees, the psychology behind AI resistance, and how to bridge the gap with specifics, motivation, and real-world wins. Whether you’re in HR, management, or just AI-curious, this candid conversation is packed with lessons on change management in the age of AI.…
In this spicy episode, Roxanne and Melanie sit down with Heather Doshay, Partner and Head of Talent at SignalFire, to unpack the most chaotic headlines in hiring today. Should you really fire all your middle managers? Is Gen Z being unfairly iced out—or just caught in an economic squeeze? And how close did one company come to hiring a North Korean spy? From AI deepfakes to communication breakdowns, Heather brings real talk, real stories, and real solutions. If you’re hiring—or hoping to get hired—you’ll want to listen closely.…
No buzzwords. No “AI will change everything” monologues. Just three people—Roxanne, Melanie, and Emily—talking about the actual AI tools they use to save time (and sanity). Emily Mabie from Zapier shares how she automated Slack reminders, built 56 bots (casually), and uses GPTs to make workflows smoother—not weirder. Melanie admits where she’s still stuck. Roxanne finds out that even she might need a bot or two. If you’ve ever thought, I should be automating this, this episode is your starting line.…
Roxanne and Melanie sit down with Gina des Cognets to unpack why feedback can feel like a landmine—and what to do when it is. They get into fear on leadership teams, the curse of perfectionism, how to spot when the bar is set too high (or too low), and what happens when psychological safety isn't what you think it is. Also: red-yellow-green performance flags, agency vs. victim mindset.…
This isn’t the episode we wanted to record, but the Coldplay CEO-CPO news took over our feeds—and apparently everyone else's too. So here we are. Roxanne and Melanie talk about why these kinds of stories hit a nerve, how power and gender dynamics show up at work, and what makes this moment feel especially complicated. Not a takedown, not a think piece—just two people trying to process something uncomfortable, out loud.…
In this episode, Roxanne chats with Christina Luconi — former Chief People Officer at Rapid7 and current startup whisperer — about entitlement in the workplace, what authenticity actually looks like, and why being liked is overrated when you’re trying to build real culture. Christina shares war stories from decades in tech, including the infamous “mom called me” moment, her journey toward radical openness, and what people leaders get wrong about influence and impact.…
In this podcast episode, Roxanne and Melanie explore workplace dynamics, focusing on disagreements between employees and managers, as well as differing work philosophies. But, in the case where a manager is truly incompetent, what should you do? Should you approach their manager directly? Confront them? Or should you simply quit and leave? Tune in to find out!…
In this conversation, Roxanne and Melanie discuss short employment stints, sharing their experiences and examining societal judgments. They explore the implications of hiring candidates with brief job histories and the risks involved, emphasizing the need for a good fit between employers and employees. The discussion also touches on a recent LinkedIn controversy involving Roxanne, highlighting challenges in public discourse and the importance of empathy in professional interactions.…
In this conversation, Roxanne and Melanie discuss a hiring process that went awry. It seemed as though a candidate was on track to be hired, but over the weekend, some back-channel information reached Roxanne that changed everything. They talk about the excitement of potentially moving forward with the hire and the disappointment of having to retract that decision when new, startling information became available. They also reflect on what could have been done differently.…
What should your management do when an employee is underperforming? What is the process of employee termination? Are there ways to get an underperforming employee on track without demoralizing everyone involved? In this episode, Roxanne & Melanie discuss how to solve how to handle this very delicate and complicated situation.…
It’s an interesting time to be a woman in tech. Whether as a leader or investor, women still face systemic challenges—whether it's being unfairly treated, denied opportunities, or significantly outnumbered. Leyla Seka’s perspective? Fight, work hard, and adapt to the realities of the world—because that’s how real change happens. During her time at Salesforce, she helped lead the charge for equal pay, laying the foundation for real equity and inclusion in compensation. But progress isn’t just about policy—it’s about being in the room where decisions happen. In this episode, Leyla shares how to get there, why it matters, and the lasting impact of having a seat at the table.…
Who knew a post about resume typos could stir up so much drama on LinkedIn? In this episode, Melanie and Roxanne dive into the debate, exploring how typos, presentation, and first impressions shape hiring decisions.
In today’s episode, Melanie and Roxanne unpack the viral headlines around DEI (did Jamie Dimon really call DEI initiatives ‘stupid’?), the real data behind DEI spending, and why talking about its effectiveness shouldn’t be taboo. They also dive into a bigger shift happening in the workplace — and what it means for measuring impact. With automation taking over admin-heavy tasks, are mediocre managers at risk? Will superstar managers handle more direct reports? And what happens when AI raises the bar for entry-level employees?…
Sadness, loneliness, and culture—each deeply shaped by relationships and connections, or lack thereof. Today’s guest, Andy Dunn , co-founder of Bonobos (acquired by Walmart) and author of Burn Rate , shares his journey of entrepreneurship while navigating mental health challenges. The conversation explores loneliness through the lens of modern social dynamics and workplace culture—and how Andy’s latest venture, Pie App , aims to bring real-life connection back into the digital age.…
Is backchanneling a dirty word? In this candid conversation about a common yet controversial pre-hiring practice — backchanneling — Roxanne and Melanie dive into a viral LinkedIn post that sparked debate in the HR community. Does backchanneling signal a lack of trust in a candidate? Speaking from a Qigong retreat, where they’re exploring their own self-awareness, they discuss the best and worst aspects of backchanneling — and whether candidates should do the same.…
In this candid conversation about what makes a successful founder, Roxanne sits down with prolific early-stage investor, Hunter Walk of Homebrew. Hunter shares that unlike many other VCs, he looks for more “steak” than “sizzle” when being pitched by founders. They discuss how both are important – and it’s crucial that a founder learns how to sell themselves and their company – but humility and substance are often underrated at the early stage. Tune-in and learn what makes a founder irresistible to an investor like Hunter, and why self-awareness and resilience are what take a founder from underdog to incumbent.…
In this first of many candid conversations, Roxanne and Melanie tackle the topic of DEI training in the workplace...starting with the question, "has DEI training actually worked? "They examine the original goals of DEI and how perception has shifted over time, leading to the backlash we're seeing today. They explore how the overarching aim of DEI and meritocracy is actually one and the same, but operating DEI in a silo has prevented many companies from seeing real change enacted that leads to better business outcomes. Roxanne and Melanie then dive into whether every company truly has a business case for diversity. Finally, they discuss what an effective DEI training should cover and how ultimately, inclusive leadership enables companies to maximize potential and value across their teams.…
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