foHRsight: HR, Leadership & the Future of Work

Mark Edgar and Naomi Titleman

You’re leading people through constant change. Evolving expectations, AI disruption, and rising pressure to get culture and performance right. If you’re an HR leader, People and Culture executive, or senior business leader shaping the future of work, foHRsight is for you. foHRsight: HR, Leadership & the Future of Work is a weekly podcast from future foHRward, hosted by Mark Edgar and Naomi Titleman Colla. Each episode explores the most pressing issues facing HR and leadership today, including employee engagement, retention, flexible work, leadership effectiveness, and the real impact of AI on organizations. Through candid conversations with CHROs, senior leaders, and forward-thinking experts, foHRsight delivers practical insight and strategic perspective you can apply immediately. The goal is simple: help you make better people decisions, build stronger organizations, and lead with confidence in an increasingly complex world of work. Follow foHRsight on your favourite podcast platform and join the future foHRward community, a growing network of HR and People leaders connecting through conversation, events, and shared insight on what’s next for work.

  1. Unlocking Human Potential with AI: Insights from “The AI Guy” Vaseem bAIg

    JAN 15

    Unlocking Human Potential with AI: Insights from “The AI Guy” Vaseem bAIg

    This episode, Naomi was joined by Vaseem bAIg, otherwise known as “The AI Guy”, whose passion is making artificial intelligence accessible for everyone. Vaseem brings a wealth of experience in helping people and organizations navigate the world of AI, and he’s all about empowering you to make the most of these emerging technologies. What We Talked About: Getting Started with AI: Vaseem shared some practical tips for beginners, including the importance of having a structured approach to prompting. He talked about starter templates that really help you get the conversation going with AI tools.Discovering Yourself through AI: One of Vaseem’s favourite insights is how interacting with AI can actually reflect your own personality and communication style. It’s a bit like holding up a mirror—sometimes you learn as much about yourself as you do about technology!Bringing AI to Work: We explored how organizations can implement AI strategies, with stories from trade shows and real-world examples. Vaseem’s frameworks make it easier to get everyone on board and spark meaningful change.Workshops that Work: Vaseem is big on hands-on learning, so he shared some approaches for running effective AI adoption workshops. His materials and guides help teams build confidence and get results. Key Takeaways: Structured prompting is your best friend when starting out with AI—it helps you get reliable results and builds your skills.Your conversations with AI can shed light on your own habits and strengths, so it’s a great tool for personal growth.Organizations succeed with AI when they use clear frameworks and practical support, like those Vaseem uses in his consulting and workshops. Blog posts: https://www.vaseemtheaiguy.com/ai-blog You can learn more about the work Vaseem does here: https://www.vaseemtheaiguy.com And follow him on LinkedIn here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/vaseemtheaiguy Don’t forget … To sign up for our monthly newsletter foHRsight at http://www.futurefohrward.com/subscribe. Follow us on LinkedIn: Mark - www.linkedin.com/in/markedgarhr/Naomi - www.linkedin.com/in/naomititlemancolla/future foHRward - www.linkedin.com/company/future-fohrward/ And on Instagram - www.instagram.com/futurefohrward/ Support the show

    34 min
  2. Breaking Barriers to Parenthood: How Jackie Hanson and Sprout Family Are Transforming Fertility Support at Work

    JAN 8

    Breaking Barriers to Parenthood: How Jackie Hanson and Sprout Family Are Transforming Fertility Support at Work

    Jackie Hanson is CEO and Co-founder of Sprout Family, Canada's first end-to-end family building platform launched in 2024. Jackie was inspiried to build her mission based company following the experience of her own parents who went through IVF.  Having itnessed firsthand how fragmented and overwhelming the fertility space is, the mission of Sprout is to improve access to parenthood and support employees through challenging fertility journeys. Current Industry Challenges Rising Infertility Rates driven by: Later childbearing (average first-time mother age now almost 32)Same-sex couples forming families requiring donors/surrogacyCost of living delays (student debt, housing costs)Legal frameworks haven't kept pace with demand Workplace Impact Statistics 40% delay treatment due to financial reasonsAverage fertility patient spends 160+ hours navigating care72% would stay longer at companies offering fertility benefitsAverage IVF round costs $25,000+ ($5K drugs, $18-20K treatment) Current Canadian Coverage Landscape 45% of employers offer fertility drug coverage (average $3,000)Less than 5% offer comprehensive coverage (treatments, preservation, surrogacy, adoption)US comparison: 50%+ offer $30-100K lifetime coverage Three-Pillar Support Framework Financial Assistance: Comprehensive coverage beyond just drugsDigital Health & Navigation: Nurse support, provider network, virtual careLeadership Culture: Creating safe spaces for employees to share needs Business Case for Employers Retention: Replacing employee costs 1.5-2x their salaryProductivity: Reduces distraction and unplanned time offEquity: Addresses barriers affecting women and LGBTQ+ individuals disproportionately Future Vision Macro: More employer coverage creates demand, potentially driving down costs and expanding clinic infrastructureSprout: Expanding to full family wellness platform (pregnancy, postpartum, parental leave, hormonal health) Contact Information Website: www.sproutfamily.caSignup for their newsletter signup available on websiteLinkedIn:  Sprout - https://www.linkedin.com/company/sproutfamily/ Jackie - https://www.linkedin.com/in/jackie-hanson/ Don’t forget … To sign up for our monthly newsletter foHRsight at http://www.futurefohrward.com/subscribe. Follow us on LinkedIn: Mark - www.linkedin.com/in/markedgarhr/Naomi - www.linkedin.com/in/naomititlemancolla/future foHRward - www.linkedin.com/company/future-fohrward/ And on Instagram - www.instagram.com/futurefohrward/ Support the show

    30 min
  3. 2025 Year-End Reflections & Future Foresight: Navigating Trust and AI in HR

    JAN 1

    2025 Year-End Reflections & Future Foresight: Navigating Trust and AI in HR

    It’s New Years Day so perfect timing for this week’s episode to drop as co-hosts Mark and Naomi catch-up on their reflections on 2025 and predictions for 2026. Key discussion topics include: 2025 Insights: Macro trends continued from previous year with advancement in all categoriesErosion of trust worsened due to AI-related misinformation and deep fraudAI advanced significantly beyond initial expectationsIncreased nationalism and tariffs impacted global businessesReturn-to-office mandates generated headlines vs. realityHR and IT functions began merging into "HI" ☺ Major Disappointments: CHRO role perceived as declining in C-suite valueDEI initiatives faced significant backlash, making the topic difficult to discussReturn-to-office policies became overly restrictive, reverting to pre-2005 monitoring practices Proud Moments: Approaching 10th anniversary in 2026Celebrated 150th podcast episodeSuccessful collaborations, particularly "The Complete Leader" with Vanessa ChehlawiCommunity growth and strategic newsletter changes 2026 Hopes: Reduce divisiveness and find common groundAddress entry-level job concerns related to AISupport the "tool belt generation" choosing trades over traditional academic pathsHR operating model evolution with creative solutionsAI integration becoming seamless in daily tools We’re excited for many more episodes and guests in 2026! Don’t forget … To sign up for our monthly newsletter foHRsight at http://www.futurefohrward.com/subscribe. Follow us on LinkedIn: Mark - www.linkedin.com/in/markedgarhr/Naomi - www.linkedin.com/in/naomititlemancolla/future foHRward - www.linkedin.com/company/future-fohrward/ And on Instagram - www.instagram.com/futurefohrward/ Support the show

    28 min
  4. Unlocking High Potential: How Top Talent Thrives—and What Holds Them Back Insights from Glain Roberts-McCabe on Engaging and Leading High Performers

    2025-12-25

    Unlocking High Potential: How Top Talent Thrives—and What Holds Them Back Insights from Glain Roberts-McCabe on Engaging and Leading High Performers

    This episode features Naomi Titleman meeting with Glain Roberts-McCabe, Founder & President of The Roundtable Inc.   They dive deep into high-potential talent research, exploring what engages top performers and what causes them to burn out. This episode features insights from Roundtable's latest research on high-potential leaders. Key discussion topics include: Defining High Potentials: Balance between driving results and maintaining cultural alignmentCore motivational drivers: helping others, excelling, adaptabilityBehavioral expectations vs. underlying motivational energy What Engages High Potentials: Clarity: Clear priorities and understanding of goalsTransparency: Honest career conversations and realistic expectations Quality career discussions: Beyond linear promotion pathsCross-functional opportunities:Leveraging adaptive strengths across organization Major Barriers & Burnout Risks: Firefighting mode: 45% of respondents stuck in reactive workUnclear priorities: Moving goalposts without contextResource constraints: Ambitious targets without adequate supportDevelopment crowding: Operational demands overshadowing growth opportunities Evolving Leadership Requirements: Strategic thinking: Increased emphasis on forward-thinking capabilitiesTechnical depth: Leaders need subject matter expertise, not just general management Cooperation: Willingness to trade individual agendas for organizational benefit You can learn more about the research here: https://goroundtable.com/the-2026-roundtable-report-on-high-potential-leaders/ And follow Glain on LinkedIn here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/glain/ Don’t forget … To sign up for our monthly newsletter foHRsight at http://www.futurefohrward.com/subscribe. Follow us on LinkedIn: Mark - www.linkedin.com/in/markedgarhr/Naomi - www.linkedin.com/in/naomititlemancolla/future foHRward - www.linkedin.com/company/future-fohrward/ And on Instagram - www.instagram.com/futurefohrward/ Support the show

    43 min
4.7
out of 5
13 Ratings

About

You’re leading people through constant change. Evolving expectations, AI disruption, and rising pressure to get culture and performance right. If you’re an HR leader, People and Culture executive, or senior business leader shaping the future of work, foHRsight is for you. foHRsight: HR, Leadership & the Future of Work is a weekly podcast from future foHRward, hosted by Mark Edgar and Naomi Titleman Colla. Each episode explores the most pressing issues facing HR and leadership today, including employee engagement, retention, flexible work, leadership effectiveness, and the real impact of AI on organizations. Through candid conversations with CHROs, senior leaders, and forward-thinking experts, foHRsight delivers practical insight and strategic perspective you can apply immediately. The goal is simple: help you make better people decisions, build stronger organizations, and lead with confidence in an increasingly complex world of work. Follow foHRsight on your favourite podcast platform and join the future foHRward community, a growing network of HR and People leaders connecting through conversation, events, and shared insight on what’s next for work.