Once in a while, an event is born that shakes things up-it makes you think differently and leaves you inspired. That event is DisruptHR!
DisruptHR is the ultimate information exchange designed to energize, inform and empower thought leaders in the HR field and beyond. Over the course of an exciting evening, 14 speakers will get 5 minutes each to teach us something. Picture speed dating, but with ideas that will help transform HR and the companies they serve, as we know it. Because this is such a high-profile event, we wanted to bring it to you, our readers, by highlighting a few of the fantastic speakers you will get to hear from at the event.
Head to disrupthr.co/city/fargo to find out more and get signed up!
When?
Thursday, October 13
4:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.
Where?
The Armory 904 Center AVe
Moorhead, MN 56560
Jennifer McClure, Founder, Disrupt HR, disruothr.co
Jennifer McClure is a full-time professional speaker and business advisor and Co-Founder of DisruptHR. We were able to interview her from all the way in Cincinnati, Ohio to give us a little more context on the event she started in The Queen City back in 2013.
You have a full-time gig in addition to DisruptHR. I have to imagine you were pretty busy getting that off the ground in 2013, what was that leg work like?
I have a business partner in DisruptHR, but we really didn’t start it as a business. We just wanted to hold an event where people who had an idea could share it in a fun format. At the time, he had a small HR tech startup. So, his team did a lot of the legwork to set it up. But really, with the different cities around the world, some put in more effort than others. But it’s not that difficult. You need to get a location, hopefully, that location has food and beverages available. You need to secure a video crew, you get some speakers and then you invite people to attend. It’s meant to be a fun event for people to come to. Different cities around the world have focused on different things but a lot of people look forward to them. They’re usually relatively small, around 100 to 200 people.
How do you go about supporting all of those different locations putting this on around the world?
There’s really not a lot because, as I said, we didn’t set it up as a business. We do charge a $500 annual licensing fee, but that goes to the cost of the website and the video hosting. So, the time that I spend with DisruptHR is really is a volunteer—just like all of our local organizers. So I don’t have time for a lot of rules—we basically always have two or three of them. But the main rule is that the presentations have to be 5 minutes with 20 slides that automatically advance every 15 seconds. Everybody has to do that.
There also can’t be any pitching or selling in a talk. We want these to be about an idea. Those are the two main things that can get me upset and people don’t do that.
Another rule is that you have to hold at least one event a year. That’s something we track from a licensing perspective, In order to be able to renew the license, you have to hold at least one event. Some of our cities hold more. We’ve had a few cities around the world hold quarterly events. Most do two a year or one a year.
Those are my rules. Now, there may be people doing things that are against my preferences, but I just don’t really get involved too much in what people do or don’t at their local events.
What do you think has been the draw of DisruptHR that has allowed it to be successful?
I think part of it is that there aren’t a lot of rules. People are allowed to talk just like how they talk in the workplace. So maybe there are some four-letter words used every now and then. There’s always some funny stuff. It’s not meant to be as formal as if you were to go to a conference or event or something.
I’m a professional speaker and If something goes wrong on stage, the event organizer has a heart attack backstage because there’s so much money invested and things need to run on time. As an audience member, I think that can get boring and repetitive. If you go to a two or three-day conference, how much do you really take away?
If you go to a disrupt HR, and you hear 10 or 12, five-minute talks, you might get one idea that you take back to the workplace. And hopefully, you laughed, you had some fun and you met some new people. I think that’s what makes them different.
That was kind of our original intent. We wanted to encourage people to hold the event at venues that maybe are not traditional business event venues. We suggest bars, comedy clubs, theaters—stuff like that. Maybe there’s going to be alcohol.
Maybe there are going to be people using four-letter words on stage.
Also, they’re only two or three hours long, if that. So, it’s not a huge time commitment. The price is right—usually, it’s $15, 20, $25, something like that. I think people can make that kind of commitment versus having to budget for a larger event or get it approved by their boss. I always tell organizers to keep their ticket price low enough that if somebody wants to just pay for it out of their own pocket, it’s not a big deal. They don’t have to submit an expense report or get their corporate approval. I think there are a lot of reasons why it’s a little different.
Do you try to watch events from around the country at all?
In the beginning, I did, when people were much more on social media. Every community has its own hashtags for the event and I do follow all of those. But more and more people aren’t using social media like they used to, but in the beginning. But sometimes I sit and follow on Twitter or sometimes they stream them live on Facebook.
I’ve also been to several events that people have invited me to speak at—probably around 20 or 30 disrupt HR events around the world and I do get all the video files and upload them to the website. In the beginning. I tried to watch as many as I could. There are probably over 6,000 videos on there now. Obviously, I haven’t watched them all, but I’ve probably watched around 2,000 or so. And I do try to set aside time to watch some of the videos because I do want to try to highlight some of the better messages that are out there.
Have you watched any of the past Fargo videos?
Yes, Adam Martin’s speech from the F5 Project is still one of my favorite speakers. And I had him on my podcast and he’s my favorite podcast guests.
Is there anything that we haven’t touched on that you would like to our readers?
I just really appreciate the local organizers like the Fargo group. They really put a lot of energy into their events.
Karli Moch, Director of Mission Development, Bio Girls, biogirls.org
Karli Moch is a West Fargo native who now raises her two boys, Dawson and Simon with her husband Taylor there. She spent the majority of her career in corporate America climbing the ladder, chasing the next role and searching for success. But in 2017, a life-threatening disease completely shifted her perspective in life and led her down the path she is walking now.
Karli serves as the Director of Mission Development for BIO Girls, a nonprofit organization focused on improving the selfesteem and mental wellness of adolescent girls. She recently published her book, Battle to Breakthrough, in June of 2022, is an active volunteer at her church and in our community and an advocate for many facing chronic illness, infertility and seeking adoption.
What will you be presenting on at Disrupt HR?
The Anonymous Goal Setter – How to go from Doing to Being.
Why participate in this event?
This event is a great platform to bring new ideas to the workforce and get us thinking of how we can show up in our community differently.
What do you hope attendees get out of the event?
I hope attendees leave this event with new ideas. And are filled with inspiration and a fire lit to show up and do better not only for those we work alongside but all of hose around us and within our community.
How is your message applicable to those outside of the HR workforce?
My message is geared towards us as individuals and how we view our personal and career goals. We live in an age where we are constantly being told to do more. More for our families, more for our employers and more for our communities. While this may not be easy to do, my message will pose the question, “what would happen if we shifted our mindset from the constant desire of doing more, to one of being more?”
In your mind, what is one thing our business community/business community members can do right now to perform better?
Put people first.
What’s one important lesson you’ve learned over your lifetime?
One of the most important lessons I learned was from a friend of mine that helped me make sense of the biggest battle I’ve ever faced. Some things happen to you, some things happen for you, and some things happen through you. When I was sick, those things were happening to me. When my life was saved, I found so much beauty in my battles—those were happening for me. Now, when I get to share my message and experience with others, this is happening through me to bring hope to others who may be facing battles of their own.
How do you “Disrupt HR”?
By leading with true connection to others and putting people first over anything else.
Do you have any book or podcast recommendations for our readers?
Shameless plug to go get your hands on my book Battle to Breakthrough. 😉
I also highly recommend A New Earth by Eckhart Tolle and one of my favorite podcasts to listen to is On Purpose with Jay Shetty.
Is there anything else you would like to say to our readers?
You can find more information about BIO Girls at biogirls.org and additional information on me and my book at www.karlimoch.com
Ethan Ostrowski
Ethan is an 18 year old student at NDSU. He grew up in Moorhead his whole life, but ended up spending his senior year in Hawley as his family moved out there this year. In his free time, Ostrowski likes hanging out with friends and playing sports in the nice weather.
What will you be presenting on at Disrupt HR?
Generation Z and how we have changed in the past few years.
Why participate in this event?
I first spoke at DisruptHR when I was 13 years old, and now I am 18 years old. There have been a lot of major things that have happened over the years and our generation has changed so much. I am excited to talk about how much we have changed from when I first spoke here.
What do you hope attendees get out of the event?
I hope they learn how much our generation has changed in the past years and how different we are than originally expected. I hope attendees get a better perspective on us when hiring us into their companies.
How is your message applicable to those outside of the HR workforce?
My message will help everyone understand our generation a bit better, so this talk will help people who don’t quite know what to do with us.
What’s one important lesson you’ve learned over your lifetime?
We are all different, we all learn and act different, so it is very important to keep that in mind when working with other people.
How do you “Disrupt HR”?
I disrupt HR by showing them things that they may not have known about us and the differences between our generation and the generations before.
Do you have any book or podcast recommendations for our readers?
Anything by Jason Dorsey because he was the first person to really do research on Gen Z that we could find back then.
Is there anything else you would like to say to our readers?
This is a great event, you should definitely come.
Matthew Skoy, Learning & Development Manager, Aldevron, aldevrin.com
Matt Skoy received his bachelor’s degree in Business Administration from North Dakota State University, his master’s degree in Education Administration from lowa State University and completed his PhD in Institutional Effectiveness from NDSU. Matt started his career at NDSU where he served for 11 years in Student Affairs. When he was the Director of Student Activities, Matt was responsible for leading his department and creating curriculum designed to ensure growth and development of students, faculty, and staff. After his time at NDSU, Matt joined the Aldevron team and is currently serving as the Learning and Development Manager where he works daily to help people Leaders develop and grow.
What will you be presenting on at Disrupt HR?
How to move from passive to active to followership.
Why participate in this event?
When is the last time you worked on developing your followership skills? If you are like me, the majority of our focus goes towards developing leadership skills. It is time to flip the conversation and focus on truly empowering others through effective followership.
What do you hope attendees get out of the event?
My hope for you is that you walk away with a better understanding of followership and how to apply it.
How is your message applicable to those outside of the HR workforce?
The lessons bestowed within this talk travel beyond the HR world. Followership is applicable in our day-to-day lives. You don’t have to look far to recognize areas where we all can be better followers.
In your mind, what is one thing our business community/business community members can do right now to perform better?
Know how to empower others, get out of the way and allow them to lead.
What’s one important lesson you’ve learned over your lifetime?
If you allow people to shine they will brighten your day.
How do you “Disrupt HR”?
You disrupt HR by intertwining lessons of followership into the leadership curriculum and help employees understand that to be an outstanding leader. you also need to know how to be an effective follower.
Do you have any book or podcast recommendations for our readers?
Discover Your True North by Bill George
Is there anything else you would like to say to our readers?
Let’s keep moving mountains!
Patrick Swinnea, Owner,PuzzlefoxInc., puzzlefox.com
What will you be presenting on at Disrupt HR?
I’ll be presenting a positive look at the future of Virtual Reality and the connected Metaverse.
Why participate in this event?
The world is a tough place right now, but it’s not all doom and gloom. Amazing things are developing in tech that will enable us to easily, affordably and comfortably communicate with others in ways that haven’t yet been invented.
What do you hope attendees get out of the event?
Hope. We could all use a little more of it.
How is your message applicable to those outside of the HR workforce?
These technologies will impact all of our lives, in and out of the workplace.
In your mind, what is one thing our business community/business community members can do right now to perform better?
Think forward, especially towards (profitable) opportunities around climate change. What can your company do to support climate change initiatives and how can you grow your business profitably towards those initiatives?
What’s one important lesson you’ve learned over your lifetime?
A theater teacher once told me, “If you’re going to fail, fail big.” In other words, don’t hold back and don’t be afraid of failure. You will never hit a home run if you can’t take big swings.
How do you “Disrupt HR”?
Disruption happens all the time, in every industry, whether we want it or not. The question is, are you the disruptor or the distruptee?
Do you have any book or podcast recommendations for our readers?
I’ll often describe a great VR experience as if it were a theme park ride. For American history fans, I highly recommend The Amusement Park by Stephen Silverman. It a fascinating look at the history of themed entertainment, and the mix of business and creative pursuits that evolved into the world-class parks and resorts we enjoy today.
Is there anything else you would like to say to our readers?
In the words of Paul McCartney, “it’s getting better all the time.” Let’s go with that.
John Andrick, Assistant Dean of Students & Director, Center for Student Success – Concordia College, concordiacollege.com
John Andrick is a seasoned higher education professional who has spent the past 15 years advising students, promoting student success and leading change at each of the colleges he has served. He graduated from NDSU after earning enough credits that they let him leave with a Bachelor of University Studies and went on to complete a Master of Arts in Organizational Leadership from Lewis University. John has been in his current role with Concordia College for just over five years. Outside of work, John loves to spend time with his wife Maggie and his son Gunnar. He plays hockey and enjoys hunting, but does not claim to be good at either of those things.
What will you be presenting on at Disrupt HR?
Every organization has a hidden curriculum. The norms, values, and expectations that govern our cultures are often unwritten or buried, yet expected to be upheld. If you have ever heard a colleague ask in frustration, ‘How do they not know!?!’, that can be an indication that someone has not unlocked the hidden curriculum. Mentorship for new employees, or in my case new students, can be a key component to helping build understanding, grow social capital and create a sense of belonging.
Why participate in this event?
I love the work that I get to do with college students. Much like new employees, new students come in with varied backgrounds, varied support systems and varied understandings of how to navigate an organization’s culture. I think we have learned ways to support students from across those variables successfully navigate our culture. I think those lessons can be transferable for others that work in human-facing fields that may have to onboard new individuals to an organizational culture.
What do you hope attendees get out of the event?
If they can take one thing from this event, I hope attendees will find opportunities to learn from different industries. I am certain the other speakers will have ideas I can learn from and I hope everyone will find something to learn from me.
How is your message applicable to those outside of the HR workforce?
We talk often about how retention and student success is everyone’s responsibility. My office may be the primary owner of that work and yet, it still requires effort across the campus. We all contribute to the success and retention of our colleagues as well, it’s not the sole responsibility of the HR department.
In your mind, what is one thing our business community/business community members can do right now to perform better?
As someone who is outside the traditional business community, this is a tough one for me. I think focusing on building relationships is incredibly important. I think we do better at the things we do when we feel like we belong, like we are cared for
What’s one important lesson you’ve learned over your lifetime?
Life is short. If there is something you want to be or do or see, don’t wait.
How do you “Disrupt HR”?
I want everyone in my department to see themselves as owners. I want them to feel empowered and I do my best to stay out of their way.
Do you have any book or podcast recommendations for our readers?
My all time favorite book is High Fidelity by Nick Hornby and I currently cannot get enough of the podcast Parks and Recollection, an episode by episode breakdown of Parks and Recreation.
Mike Dragosavich, Founder/CEO, Spotlight Media, spotlightmedia.com
Mike found Fargo through NDSU Football, spent two years in the NFL, then moved back to Fargo to become an entrepreneur. His main business, Spotlight Media, started as a one-person operation with a mission to inform the Fargo-Moorhead community of the great things happening in the area back in 2009. Now 13 years later, Mike leads a team of 30 who produce over 7 local and regional magazines and provide marketing services to over 100 businesses. Mike also is a partner at Herd and Horns Restaurant and iDigital Billboards.
What will you be presenting on at Disrupt HR?
A deeper dive into the recruiting journey.
Why participate in this event?
I serve as the lead advisor to most of our marketing clients. Over the past three years, a strong emphasis has been on recruitment and retention. With this need, I have spent many hours becoming knowledgeable in the recruitment process. I now have tested tools and technologies with over 24 companies to provide stronger insights into how to recruit candidates better.
What do you hope attendees get out of the event?
I want them to see that there are more ways to work smarter vs. harder when it comes to attracting new candidates for their business.
How is your message applicable to those outside of the HR workforce?
It will help provide insight into how resourceful you can be now with the new technologies available. It will also show everyone how deep the data can get and how affordable it all is now.
In your mind, what is one thing our business community/business community members can do right now to perform better?
Do not panic when recruiting. Demo recruiting software and tools and mplement better user experience journeys.
What’s one important lesson you’ve learned over your lifetime?
We all are more resourceful than we think and now there are more things available to help us with success than there ever has been. We just need to pride ourselves on knowing how to find everything.
How do you “Disrupt HR”?
Finding ways to convert better recruits for 1/100 of the price!
Do you have any book or podcast recommendations for our readers?
Designing Experiences by J. Robert Rossman Ph.D. and Mathew D. Duerden Ph.D.
Is there anything else you would like to say to our readers?
Check out Hotjar.com, Hireclick. com, Videoask.com, producthunt. com and The HR Tech Market Map.
Ashley Simmons, Customer Engagement Strategist, Gate City Bank, gatecity.bank
In 2006, Ashley Simmons took a job as a teller and became an ‘accidental banker.’ Soon after, she quickly discovered banking is about people and there is no better feeling at the end of the workday than to help someone in their journey. Whether it’s financial or personal growth, Tam in the business of helping people. In 2019, I joined Gate City Bank where living a better way of life is my everyday work.
What will you be presenting on at Disrupt HR?
Stop talking about empathy and start applying it! Empathy is not a skill that comes naturally for everyone, we know this for sure. How do we apply it? How do we teach it? What are the benefits of it? How can it move the needle for our organizations?
Why participate in this event?
This event is a chance to make your world a little bigger. An opportunity to connect with others, find community and hear about topics that affect our workplaces. Most of us are hungry for growth, this is a great chance to feed that.
What do you hope attendees get out of the event?
My hope is that attendees have an opportunity to connect with others and learn they aren’t alone in their struggles and challenges, but we are better together. There is power in community.
How is your message applicable to those outside of the HR workforce?
Empathy is the beginning element of all relationships, both professional and personal. When we start applying empathy, walls come down and new connections form. We make others feel seen, heard and safe. We become stronger leaders at home and in the workplace. Empathy builds strong communication skills and leads to innovation! This is a need across all organizations, so let’s start doing it!
In your mind, what is one thing our business community/business community members can do right now to perform better?
Create meaningful connection opportunities in your workplace. Find intentional ways to bring people together. This produces opportunities to work better together across our organizations and communities. Relationships move the needle.
What’s one important lesson you’ve learned over your lifetime?
Compassion and empathy start at home. We have to be kind to ourselves, give ourselves grace, and then and only then, do we have the capacity to freely give it to others without judgment.
How do you “Disrupt HR”?
To be a great disrupter, we must lean in first and find out why and how organizations are doing things the way they do. When we have the data and context, we can be empowered to make bold changes that engage our teams and take our organizations to the next level.
Do you have any book or podcast recommendations for our readers?
The Gifts of Imperfection by Brené Brown and The 5 Second Rule by Mel Robbins.
Is there anything else you would like to say to our readers?
Stay uncomfortable! Get out of your comfort zone. Nourish your growth by doing things that scare you and give yourself grace along the way.
Cassie Kasowski, Mental Health and Addiction Practitioner, Beth’s Place, bethsplacerecovery.com
Cassie Kasowski, CEO of Beth’s Place, disrupts for good in many ways, every single day. She walks the talk and teaches her team to lean in, listen, do the next right thing, to be person-centered and to work on themselves. She doesn’t mince words, and that too is for the greater good.
“Only when we use our voices, loudly, for good, can we have a community rooted in recovery, not only surviving but living joyfilled sober lives,” Kasowski said.
What will you be presenting on at Disrupt HR?
Breathing your way into authenticity, commitment, and healing.
Why participate in this event?
One of my core values is to be a lifelong learner all while teaching others through my own personal life lessons. Now more than ever, we need to focus on mental health in our community. I feel that my message can help other leaders think differently about sharing their story and learn how to create more effective and authentic connections with their team or others in their lives.
What do you hope attendees get out of the event?
I want the attendees to be able to see that there are different ways to become the best version of yourself. A lot of us have all the knowledge but are unable to make it applicable in our daily life because we’re too busy living for others. Sharing our stories opens up the door to communicate the common dominator that we all need to thrive which is that were not alone.
How is your message applicable to those outside of the HR workforce?
Between the ages of 5-7 research shows that we begin to operate in autopilot. When we become aware of our autopilot map, we can begin to change our behavior, begin paying attention and begin the shift to become the most authentic version of ourself. When I hear the word authentic I think of behavior. What has kept you stuck? What has kept you cycling? What has kept you from reaching your true potential? When we open our eyes to our own behaviors we begin to become empowered to make the right choices for our life moving forward.
In your mind, what is one thing our business community/business community members can do right now to perform better?
People carry enough shame on their own. They don’t need added judgment from others. Substance Use Disorders and Mental Health Disorders do not discriminate. I believe it is a community effort to create and carry ourselves in an emotionally intelligent way not only for those we work next to but those who come into our presence.
What’s one important lesson you’ve learned over your lifetime?
We should all take care of our brain as well if not better than we take care of our teeth. Health is a privilege not given to all and not earned by many. Commit to your overall well-being and you won’t continue to learn the hard way, as you will step into the best version of yourself.
How do you “Disrupt HR”?
If you asked my team this question, they would defiantly say, that I’m a fierce advocate for overall wellness. I’m over buzz words like “self-care” especially when they are followed up with more expectations and less applicable ways to achieve them. I’m always up for sharing different ways to think of situations or ideas—communication is huge for me. Mental Health and Substance Use have notoriously been looked at as a “choice.” Beth’s Place has led with an open-door community-based policy, running a researchbased, person-centered approach to continue to meet clients where they are at with the dignity that we all deserve. We will continue to “disrupt” in all the best ways by providing ethical, fair treatment to all, under the state statutes in which we are governed.
Do you have any book or podcast recommendations for our readers?
Furiously Happy by Jenny Lawson
Is there anything else you would like to say to our readers?
Go for it! Read the book, research and ask questions. We have one life and I’m a huge believer in that we can’t do everything, but we can do exactly what we were meant to do. Figure out what you’re “meant to do” through trial and error and leave room for grace and growth along the way.
Jill Christopher, Executive Director, Ronald McDonald Houes Cgarities of the Red River Valley, rmhcfargo.org
Jill Christopher has served as the Executive Director of the Ronald McDonald House Charities of the Red River Valley in Fargo, ND since October 2010. She was drawn to RMHC after her young nephew’s family utilized a Ronald McDonald House while he received a kidney transplant. Jill is a graduate of Concordia College and now lives in West Fargo with her husband, Pete, and their two wonderful kids. When not working, you can often find Jill at her favorite place—the lake.
What will you be presenting on at Disrupt HR?
Losing a long-time, high-performing employee can be stressful but it doesn’t need to stop your forward momentum. I will be talking about how solid planning can help ease the transition and manage team morale to keep your team moving forward in a positive direction.
What do you hope attendees get out of the event?
I hope that attendees can be energized by the ideas that they hear and that everyone can walk away with a couple of nuggets that can be immediately implemented to better themselves and the companies they work for.
What do you hope attendees get out of the event?
If they can take one thing from this event, I hope attendees will find opportunities to learn from different industries. I am certain the other speakers will have ideas I can learn from and I hope everyone will find something to learn from me.
How is your message applicable to those outside of the HR workforce?
HR is part of everyone’s job no matter what your role in the company is. By thinking about transitions well ahead of someone leaving, you can set your department and your company up for continued success in times of transition.
What’s one important lesson you’ve learned over your lifetime?
Back in my college days, I got some great advice to get to know the people well that can really help in a jam—janitors, print shops, etc. Saying good morning, checking in to see how others are doing and being sure to show gratitude is not only kind but can help ensure that they are willing to help you when you are in a jam or up against a tight deadline.
Do you have any book or podcast recommendations for our readers?
One resource that I enjoy is a daily email from SmartBrief on leadership. It gathers a few articles a day on hot topics and I can choose which articles I want to read. All of the articles are quick reads on applicable topics to me as a leader. While a daily email might seem a little overwhelming, I often find that it is a great way to get learning in every day in a digestible format with topics that help me be a better leader and member of the team.
Than Baardson, CEO+CoFounder, Unseen, weareunseen.org
Than Baardson is an entrepreneur, speaker, connector, and the CEO and Co-Founder of Unseen, a nonprofit that accelerates the fight against human trafficking and its root causes. This role allows him to collaborate with leaders across the world who are fighting some of today’s greatest injustices.
He began his career as a firefighter in the Air National Guard where he’s currently enlisted as a public affairs specialist. Than serves on a variety of boards, advisory committees and teams, including the U.S. Global Leadership Coalition, the Women’s Economic Imperative and the Slavery and Trafficking Risk Template. While he’s seen a good chunk of the world and enjoys exploring great food across continents, he and his wife are loving their time raising two wonderfully likable kids in Fargo, ND.
What will you be presenting on at Disrupt HR?
Rethinking employee give back.
What do you hope attendees get out of the event?
This will be a chance to reimagine what companies can do to affect the lives of people vulnerable to and caught in human trafficking here in the US and around the world.
How is your message applicable to those outside of the HR workforce?
Modern slavery and human trafficking affect an estimated 40+ million people. 10 million of those are children. It remains in the top three criminal industries in the world, generating $150+ billion annually. Trafficking is lucrative and highly funded. Antitrafficking work is underfunded. This lack of funding slows the fight against trafficking, including the identification of trafficked victims, delivery of aftercare services and prosecution of criminals. Countertrafficking work depends on increased funds so organizations can hire staff to provide critical services to at-risk people. It requires adding personnel and technology to investigate crimes, collect evidence and prosecute perpetrators leading to higher conviction rates and disincentive trafficking. While many businesses want to encourage their employees to get involved with humanitarian efforts to fight issues like trafficking, traditional give-back models rely on each employee to take the initial step for involvement. Employers might match each dollar given, but what if this model was flipped? What would engagement look like if companies took the first step and simply invited their teams to come to work—and by doing so—would be accelerating the fight against human trafficking right along Unseen?
Do you have any book or podcast recommendations for our readers?
Books: The Gap and The Gain by Dan Sullivan, The Last Arrow by Erwin McManus and Talking to Strangers by Malcom Gladwell
Podcasts: Battle Ready, The Craig Groeschel Leadership Podcast and Dream Big.
Nick Waverek, Co-Founder, Lykkly, launch.lykkly.com
Nick Waverek is the co-founder of financial wellness technologies startup, Lykkly. Prior to creating Lykkly, Nick was an early team member at CoSchedule, Bushel, and a few other successful startup ventures. Growing up a ‘Remote Midwesterner’, his extended family was in the Midwest, Nick’s was on the coasts of North Carolina, California and Hawaii and he even spent seven years in Japan. Nick moved back to Minnesota before making Fargo home, where he has been happily married and raising his four kids for eleven years.
What will you be presenting on at Disrupt HR?
Transcending the taboo of salary sharing. As an increasing number of employees are deliberately disclosing the details of their total compensation, some companies are scrambling to react while others are embracing a new reality.
Why participate in this event?
There are a couple of reasons why I like this event. The first factor is the people. I think HR folks are some of the most relentless and passionate, yet most approachable and quirky people that you’ll ever engage with. The second is the format of the talks themselves. Short, thought-provoking content that maybe there’s and an answer to and maybe there’s more work to be done.
What do you hope attendees get out of the event?
I don’t have the answers. My hope is to remove the passive aggressive filter we can sometimes have, and let the thoughts, discussions and actions continue in the community.
How is your message applicable to those outside of the HR workforce?
Whether it is on Glassdoor or entire libraries on TikTok, people are aware of details being shared and whether it’s fact or fluff, the public perception tends to default to the truth.
In your mind, what is one thing our business community/business community members can do right now to perform better?
Words from a famous TEDx Talk: “Create the community you want to be a part of.” I think we can be in tune with what the Fargo community and marketplace is telling us it needs, and be our own best solutions where we can be.
What’s one important lesson you’ve learned over your lifetime?
I don’t think I have truly learned it, but there is a Japanese concept, Ikigai, of aligning what you’re good at, with what brings your joy, what the world needs and what you can be paid for.
How do you “Disrupt HR”?
As a business, Lykkly is partnering with employers to eliminate financial stress in families, workplaces and communities. We’ve paired science and technology to create a humancentric experience that helps people think, act, and feel positively about money.
Do you have any book or podcast recommendations for our readers?
A book I love is Make Time, Particularly the parts about creating a distraction-free iPhone.
Is there anything else you would like to say to our readers?
Come to DisruptHR!
Teressia Grandall, CEO & Founder, Fiftytwo50 Media
An entrepreneur to her core, Teressia has spent the last 9 years growing her own companies and building up other entrepreneurs who are ready to grow and scale their income and impact.
Insanely passionate about helping others build an online presence, attracting and creating loyal customers and building an online community without the stress of doing it alone, her mission is for everyone to start living an extraordinary life by not compromising anything along the way.
Always thinking of new business ideas, she has never shied away from following her passions, taking chances, building her own opportunities and is a true believer that you can, in fact, have it all.
What will you be presenting on at Disrupt HR?
I will be talking about being Multi-Passionate AF. I believe that you do NOT have to niche down (even if you work in a traditional work setting) and that by embracing your multi-passionate goals, you will live a happier more authentic life.
Why participate in this event?
I have the opportunity to talk with individuals all over the United States that work in traditional work settings about how they feel that they are “abnormal” or “wrong” for having multiple passions. Speaking at this event is an opportunity to shed light in a larger setting on how the changes are already happening from career growth being a straightforward, linear path to the new culture of “Slash Careers”.
What do you hope attendees get out of the event?
I would love to see companies supporting teams or employees’ internal and external passions. Passionate, engaged individuals will bring that energy back to the workplace and can add value in unexpected ways. You may even be surprised at how many intrapreneurs you have at your company when given the chance to thrive.
How is your message applicable to those outside of the HR workforce?
Being multi-passionate can make some people feel broken or confused. In reality, having multiple passions can be a superpower! Get clear on your ideas/dreams/ talents and run with them. One of the greatest things you can do is to look for ways to encourage your curiosity by thinking outside the box.
In your mind, what is one thing our business community/business community members can do right now to perform better?
Careers are no longer people’s entire lives. Work-life balance is insanely important. Burnout is real. Over the last two years, people are starting to “wake up” from accepting the daily grind of what “has to be”. The best thing that can be done is an evaluation of how you are supporting your employees and teams in terms of abilities, skills, dreams, goals, passions etc. inside and out of the workplace. Passionate workers should not be seen as unpredictable. In fact, creating an environment that encourages passionate behavior can actually cultivate employees who are more resilient and can become stronger and ultimately more valuable due to the challenges and learning opportunities they will face.
What’s one important lesson you’ve learned over your lifetime?
Gratitude is everything. As an entrepreneur, it takes daily reminders to notice and be grateful for the little things that really truly matter
