The Simplifiers Podcast

Mary Baird, PHR
  • 5.0 (25)
  • MANAGEMENT
  • UPDATED TWICE WEEKLY

Mary Baird, CSEP - Creative Entrepreneur, Business Coach and Undercover Superhero has one goal in mind...to simplify your life. Each episode breaks down topics in business + life and SIMPLIFIES them! Interviewing smart people from all over the world, we will discover new insights, simple action items and spark fresh ideas to help you DO. THE. THING! in an educational, informational and entertaining way. Cash flow, simplified. Productivity, simplified. Becoming a vegan, simplified. Sort my life out, simplified. Whether you're just starting a small business or seeking simplicity and clarity in a NOISY world, tune in for advice and inspiration on creativity, marketing, mindset, branding, fear, motivation, sales, wellness and deep contentment. Episodes are released every Tuesday and Friday, for simplicity sake.

Episodes

  1. 2 DAYS AGO

    How to be a joy-centered people leader - with Sheryl Raphael Whitaker

    A lot of people leaders are exhausted right now. They're holding the line on performance… trying to keep their teams engaged… and making hard calls under pressure. And in the middle of all that, one thing gets pushed to the bottom of the list: Joy. Not the "happy all the time" kind of joy. Not "good vibes only." But joy as an operating system — the thing that stabilizes how you lead, how you respond, and how you treat people when work gets messy. Because when a leader runs on urgency, fear, or control… the team can feel it. And it costs you: trust, creativity, psychological safety, retention… and eventually, results. My special guest today is Sheryl Raphael Whitaker, and she's simplifying how to be a joy-centered people leader. Sheryl is a leadership transformation expert and best-selling author of It Starts with Joy: The Inner Shift that Changes Everything. She helps leaders and teams move from overload and disconnection into clarity, authenticity, and steady leadership — through her JoyShift™ method and the idea that "Joy is your COO." Here's how. My special guest today is Sheryl Raphael Whitaker and she's simplifying how to be a joy-centered people leader.  We tackle and simplify all aspects of it, including: That when you believe "Joy is an operating system" and "Joy is your COO," what that really means and the real cost to a team when a leader runs on urgency, fear, or control instead. The most common signs a people leader is not joy-centered (even if they're high-performing) versus someone who truly is. How to use the JoyAudit — and a couple of questions a manager can ask themselves to get clarity in under 10 minutes. A step-by-step, simplified walkthrough of the JoyShift Method: Joy Aware, Joy Embraced, Joy Committed, Joy in Motion — and one simple action you can take this week for each step. And if joy is the operating system, how it changes the most important people-leader moments: feedback, conflict, decision-making under pressure, and building trust — with a couple "before vs. after" examples you can picture immediately. Q: Are you ready to learn how to be a joy-centered people leader? If yes, this one is for you. It's time to #DoTheThing! ---- Show notes available with all links mentioned here: https://www.thesimplifiers.com/posts/410-how-to-be-a-joy-centered-people-leader---with-sheryl-raphael-whitaker

    44 min

  2. 3 FEB · BONUS

    How to be a calm, centered people leader (guided visualization)

    Time for a guided visualization exercise: How to be a calm, centered people leader. Because let's be honest—leading people is meaningful work… and it can also be emotionally demanding. You're holding space for others, making decisions, navigating change, managing expectations, and trying to do it all with empathy and integrity. This episode is for the moments when you want to lead with clarity instead of reactivity. With presence instead of pressure. With calm confidence instead of overwhelm. This is about learning how to center yourself first, so you can show up as the steady, grounded leader your people need. So, how does it work? Simple! Let my voice be a guide for you as you focus inward to help you tap into your inner wisdom and Intuition for answers. Listen and participate in this guided visualization exercise: How to be a calm, centered people leader. You can do this, I believe in you. It's time to SIMPLIFY. Show notes available with all links mentioned here: https://www.thesimplifiers.com/posts/b166-how-to-be-a-calm-centered-people-leader-guided-visualization

    14 min

  3. 27 JAN

    How to stand out on LinkedIn - with Haley ONeill (ALL-STAR)

    Raise your hand if you're currently looking for a job right now? You might be curious… How do I get more recruiters to notice me? How do I elevate my credibility in my sector? Or maybe you're wanting to speak at more industry conferences? How might you better achieve your professional goals this year? Well, it's time to rethink how you show up on LinkedIn... more specifically, how to stand out on this professional platform as a thought leader. My all-star special guest today is recruiter Haley ONeill and she's simplifying how to stand out on LinkedIn. With over 109k followers at the time of recording this episode, (now 150k+ as of Jan 2026!) Haley has solidified herself as one of LinkedIn's top voices in Recruiting, which I can imagine, keeps her talent pipeline quite full when she's hiring for new roles.*  If you're looking to take your career to the next level, learn from Haley the very best insider secrets to elevate your personal brand on LinkedIn, get connected with others, and become a thought leader in your industry.  *NOTE: Haley ONeill is now Senior Manager of Talent Acquisition Strategy & Process Innovation at Marriott International, as of January 2026. Here's how.  My all-star special guest today is Haley ONeill and she's simplifying how to stand out on LinkedIn. We tackle and simplify all aspects of it, including: Why it's important to have a personal brand presence on LinkedIn and how to define your WHY. What the first, practical steps are after you define why you want to stand out on LinkedIn. How to create content on LinkedIn that is simple and easy, helping to elevate your voice. What advice she gives to those that are afraid of coming off as "bragging or boasting" when they post about their own achievements. …and ultimately, how to measure your success with all the effort that will be necessary to stand out on LinkedIn. What metric matters the most? Q: Are you ready to learn how to stand out on LinkedIn? If yes, this one is for you. It's time to #DoTheThing! ---- Show notes available with all links mentioned here: https://www.thesimplifiers.com/posts/409-how-to-stand-out-on-linkedin---with-haley-oneill-all-star

    52 min

  4. 20 JAN

    How to build entrepreneurial culture within HR teams - with John Bernatovicz

    HR teams are being asked to do more than ever before — move faster, support burned-out employees, and navigate constant change. And yet, many HR functions are still operating with a compliance-first mindset that slows innovation and limits impact. What if HR didn't function like a back-office department… but instead, like a startup inside the organization? My special guest today is John Bernatovicz, and he's simplifying how to build entrepreneurial culture within HR teams. John has built his career blending entrepreneurship and HR, and he believes the future of HR depends on autonomy, agility, ownership, and a problem-solving mindset — not just policies and procedures. Here's how. My special guest today is John Bernatovicz and he's simplifying how to build entrepreneurs culture within HR teams.  We tackle and simplify all aspects of it, including: What it actually means for an HR team to have an entrepreneurial culture — and why it matters now more than ever. One practical shift leaders can make to move HR teams from enforcing rules to solving problems creatively. What the "20 things you MUST do first" really mean in his book HR Like a Boss — including 3–4 of the most impactful ones, like defining your purpose and practicing real self-care outside of work. What would change first if HR operated like a startup — from how we hire, to how we measure success, to how we experiment. …and ultimately, advice for CHROs who want to empower their teams to think like founders, not function owners — even when budgets, compliance, or legacy systems slow them down. Q: Are you ready to learn how to build entrepreneurial culture within HR teams? If yes, this one is for you. It's time to #DoTheThing! ---- Show notes available with all links mentioned here: https://www.thesimplifiers.com/posts/408-how-to-build-entrepreneurial-culture-within-hr-teams---with-john-bernatovicz

    47 min
  • 4 Episodes

5
out of 5
25 Ratings

About

Mary Baird, CSEP - Creative Entrepreneur, Business Coach and Undercover Superhero has one goal in mind...to simplify your life. Each episode breaks down topics in business + life and SIMPLIFIES them! Interviewing smart people from all over the world, we will discover new insights, simple action items and spark fresh ideas to help you DO. THE. THING! in an educational, informational and entertaining way. Cash flow, simplified. Productivity, simplified. Becoming a vegan, simplified. Sort my life out, simplified. Whether you're just starting a small business or seeking simplicity and clarity in a NOISY world, tune in for advice and inspiration on creativity, marketing, mindset, branding, fear, motivation, sales, wellness and deep contentment. Episodes are released every Tuesday and Friday, for simplicity sake.

Information

  • Creator
    Mary Baird, PHR
  • Years Active
    2018 - 2026
  • Episodes
    4
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2026 The Simplifiers Worldwide (UK) Ltd + The Simplifiers LLC (US)
  • Show Website
    The Simplifiers Podcast