Episodes

Announcing plans for a community network built around the podcast The Janus Oasis. Now open: Join The Janus Oasis Community I bring together the people tasked with workplace transformation - the people who are trying to figure out hybrid/remote solutions, how to upskill their workforce, retain and attract employees, how to create and sustain employee engagement and advocacy. Whether you are a manager, a leader, a trainer, a coach, a DEI or change management consultant, a communications or HR p...

Join The Janus Oasis Community. John Espirian is a LinkedIn expert who is gifted in building relationships and community. He runs the most effective group I've ever been part of on LinkedIn and the doors are open again until he reaches 300 members. I'm one of 4 Canadians in the group (living in Canada anyway - Canadians are everywhere and there are many more in the group, along with many other nationalities). John created an interactive map so we can see where everyone is from. He also talks abo...

Join The Janus Oasis Community. In this series, Rob Baker is the only person I've never spoken to before. We connected after I read his book Personalization at Work and wrote a review. I've been watching him develop his consulting business - Tailored Thinking and launch the Job Canvas, a method of making job descriptions more interactive and dynamic. I was pleased that one of the first things he said to me was that I build relationships really well online. Really cool someone I've never met befo...

Join The Janus Oasis Community. I've known Darroch Crewe for 19 years - he was in training and HR when I was working in customer service. Darroch was the first person to mention to me the value of my operations experience in the context of consulting. I was getting bored with sales and was exploring change management. He's always been thoughtful and empathetic, not to mention generous. Darroch shares with us his story of moving from a tiny Toronto condo back to his home in Newfoundland during ...

Join The Janus Oasis Community. Last year I told the story of a job interview gone wrong. The meeting was not going well and the fire alarm going off in the middle of it was the death nail in that opportunity. Or so I thought. Because I was able to tell a joke to break the ice, I made the interviewer laugh and I got the job. There was no fire lol. Anne Comer was not in that interview - she was the second interview and final decision maker. In fact, she didn't know the story until I wrote it on ...

Join The Janus Oasis Community. Originally recorded in January 2022, I held this episode so I could build a series including other people I used to work with. Kendra Foerster also took her photography/videography business full-time and had to build a fabulous new website www.portraitsbykendra.ca. Kendra and Kerry Anne Rothe of Dock 45 Inc. were part of the communications team I worked with when I starred in a series of corporate change management videos designed to encourage staff to use a newl...

Join The Janus Oasis Community An overview of the process I'll be using to help employers embed hybrid/remote work into their organizations. I launched a consulting business last week called Nola Simon Advisory designed to help employers do hybrid/remote work better. This podcast is an overview of my approach. Intention Narration Model/Test Embed The goal is not to design a solution just for right now but for the future as well. What does this look like 5 or 10 years from now? How can we ...

Sponsored by Nola Simon Advisory: Learn More From This Bonus Podcast Episode Communication has never been more important than it is when working either hybrid or remote. -lean into empathy and compassion -the narrative has to center on employees -be aware of the perception of loss if you are bringing staff back to the office Be prepared for your internal communications to become public. If you get hybrid/remote work communications wrong, there is a very high possibility this will go viral. H...

Sponsored by Nola Simon Advisory: Learn More From This Bonus Podcast Episode Shelley Brown is a speaker, an author, artist and mindfulness educator. She also has worked remotely since the early 2000's. Back then, there was not much technology to support hybrid/remote so you know immediately she's tenacious and creative. Shelley is passionate about engaging and retaining employees by fostering a sense of belonging. We talk about her W.E.I.R.D philosophy - turning it from a label into a way of be...

Sponsored by Nola Simon Advisory: Learn More From This Bonus Podcast Episode Workloads have skyrocketed around the world and it's the same for managers but they also have additional emotional labour. Are we expecting too much from managers? Mari Williams and I discuss trauma-led leadership, coaching, therapy and wonderfully private garden sheds designed for deep work...and magic. Mari Williams The Mind Architect ™ | LinkedIn https://www.amazon.ca/Begins-You-Transform-alternative-leader/dp/19137...

Sponsored by Nola Simon Advisory: Learn More From This Bonus Podcast Episode I've noticed that there is a real demand for information about sabbatical so this is solo episode about my experience on my sabbatical. Everyone is always interested in the money aspect of how to afford a sabbatical. While this is a very valid concern, it's the least interesting aspect of sabbatical. As an escapee from financial services, I don't want to talk about the money. I've been doing that for 20 years - even to...

Sponsored by Nola Simon Advisory: Learn More From This Bonus Podcast Episode Join me as I talk about some of the work I did during my year-long sabbatical. These episodes range from mindfulness, storytelling, quirks, coaching, wellness, mindset to using artificial intelligence to identify transferrable skills and how this can be used to add humanity back into the recruiting process.

Sponsored by Nola Simon Advisory: Learn More From This Bonus Podcast Episode So when an author you know and adore asks if you want to share your story in her next book for kids, you say yes. Normally my episodes of The Janus Oasis are short - between 20-30 minutes. Kristin and I have so much to talk about, this episode is an hour. Join us as we talk about sharing stories to empower children to embrace their differences, writing her next book with her mother who is also a dedicated executive c...

Join The Janus Oasis Community What does it feel like if you have nothing to prove? Kerri Twigg is my coach and I've watched her pivot from being a resume writer and career coach to an author and story and mindfulness coach. She's an inspiration - I started meditating when the pandemic started and it's been such a useful skill to apply to reimagining my career during my sabbatical. It's more than just counting your breath - Kerri uses science-informed techniques - the same techniques used to ...

Sponsored by Nola Simon Advisory: Learn More From This Bonus Podcast Episode You've heard of the ATS but what about AI? Can artificial intelligence help make the recruiting process more human? Can technology help you with visibility in a hybrid or remote world of work? Todd Raphael educates me on how AI can fight bias and long-term unemployment. Todd Raphael | LinkedIn https://twitter.com/ToddRaphael?s=20&t=3S4EApEZK5qagPsCYUCkqw

Sponsored by Nola Simon Advisory: Learn More From This Bonus Podcast Episode In this solo episode, I tell you the story of my experience with personal branding and employee advocacy using LinkedIn Most resources talk about employee advocacy being great for employer branding. It is but it's also great for you as an individual. One caveat: With great power comes great responsibility. (Thanks, Uncle Ben).

Sponsored by Nola Simon Advisory: Learn More From This Bonus Podcast Episode How we feel at work includes our wardrobe. How we look impacts how people perceive us. How has the pandemic and changing dress codes changed how we dress? Join Renée Lindo, personal stylist and owner of Let's Get Dressed Now as we talk about style, personal branding and empowerment. Renée Lindo | LinkedIn https://www.instagram.com/letsgetdressednow

Sponsored by Nola Simon Advisory: Learn More From This Bonus Podcast Episode If you are matching your policies to legislation or competitors, you are doing the bare minimum. What would creative and innovative policies look like? In this episode, I talk to CEO Shelly J. Spiegel about her creative policies designed to delight and retain staff. Her staff at Fire Engine Red can take a 30 day leave to settle an estate. She also has created a 2 day paw-ternity leave for new pet parents. Shelly Spi...

Sponsored by Nola Simon Advisory: Learn More From This Bonus Podcast Episode How can a technique used a technique used for centuries to select candidates for sainthood help your organization to adapt to change? Proactive organizations create a red team. Join Kathryn Zukof, author of The Hard and Soft Sides of Change Management: Tools for Managing Process and People to talk about the benefits of embracing the devil's advocate. Kathryn Zukof | LinkedIn

Sponsored by Nola Simon Advisory: Learn More From This Bonus Podcast Episode Are you tired of the same old podcasts that rehash what you already know? Do you crave insights from those shaping our world with innovative ideas, all while understanding the vital concept of trust? Want to thrive in the digital disruption era, where trust is key? If you said yes to any of these, listen to the Hybrid/Remote Centre of Excellence podcast. It's not just about hybrid/remote—it's about everything, including...