Highly Adaptive

Jeff Pelliccio

Real conversations. Real leaders. Insights you can use. Highly Adaptive is where executives and change makers come to hear what's actually working—not what's being sold. Hosts Jeff Pelliccio and Erin MacKenzie bring together operators, advisors, and industry leaders for candid 30-minute conversations that deliver actionable takeaways, not theoretical fluff. Every episode tackles what matters to leaders navigating change: AI strategy, digital transformation, growth tactics, team development, and the decisions that shape organizations. The approach is agnostic—no platform pushing, no vendor allegiance—just multi-perspective truth that helps you cut through noise and lead with confidence. Whether you're running an organization, advising one, or driving change from within, this podcast exists to help you adapt and stay ahead. --- Our Sponsors: Allied Insight & All Things Staffing

  1. Finding the Fray

    25 MAR

    Finding the Fray

    Summary You've felt the friction before. The meeting where marketing is celebrating lead volume and sales can't convert a single one. The initiative that stalled because three departments had three different scripts. The moment you realize everyone's working hard — just not together. In this episode, Jeff Pelliccio and Erin MacKenzie sit down with Anna Frazzetto, Founder and CEO of AFM Strategic Partners, for Part 1 of a two-part conversation about what it actually costs when your organization operates as loose threads instead of connected fabric. Anna shares what she's seen firsthand, including a 23% revenue loss at one company where back-office systems weren't aligned with the services being delivered. She walks through the evolution of the C-suite, why specialization created silos nobody intended, and what happened when she started having teams shadow each other across departments. The results were a paradigm shift in how the organization operated and it started with mutual respect, not a reorg. This is the diagnosis. Part 2 is the fix. Key Takeaways Alignment isn't a buzzword — it's a revenue driver — Only 31% of employees are engaged at work, and 84% of marketers say cross-functional work feels like dragging an anchor. The organizations that figure out how to weave their departments together see compounding returns. Most organizations have all the threads — they're missing the loom — The talent, the tools, and the expertise are already there. What's missing is the structure that connects them. Without shared metrics, interlocking goals, and deliberate coordination, departments run parallel instead of together. The C-suite evolved for good reason — but lost end-to-end ownership — Specialization addressed complexity. But in creating a CRO, CSO, CMO, CDO, and more, organizations lost anyone responsible for the full journey. The threads got stronger. The fabric disappeared. Silos cost real money — Anna observed a 23% revenue impact when back-office systems weren't aligned with service delivery. That number only became visible after an organizational change proved the delta. Most companies don't even measure it. Shadow programs break silos faster than reorgs — When Anna had sales sit with recruiters and recruiters sit with IT, mutual respect replaced finger-pointing. Teams started solving problems together because they finally understood what the other side was dealing with. Start with baby steps, not big bangs — Fear and tenure are the two biggest barriers to organizational change. Anna's advice: pitch the smallest structural shift that creates alignment. One department realignment. One shared metric. One interlocked goal. Build from there. Come with solutions, not just problems — For change-makers who aren't in leadership yet: do the homework, understand the players, and present possible paths forward. Even imperfect solutions show leadership that you're invested in the company's future. Sponsors 🐼 Allied Insight: When your departments aren't woven together, your marketing feels it first. Allied Insight helps staffing and consulting businesses build strategies that connect — not just campaigns that compete for attention. The Preferred Marketing Partner of Staffing and Consulting businesses. 🐙 All Things Staffing: The threads are already out there, industry insights, case studies, and practical resources that connect the dots. Expert Resources for the Staffing Community.

    45 min
  2. Courageous Culture with Ericka Hyson

    18 MAR

    Courageous Culture with Ericka Hyson

    Summary What's actually separating the organizations that are thriving right now from the ones that feel stuck? Most leaders point to technology, talent, or timing. Ericka Hyson makes the case that the real variable is courage — and not the inspirational poster version. In this conversation, Jeff Pelliccio and Erin MacKenzie sit down with growth advisor Ericka Hyson of Hyson Advisory to dig into what courageous culture actually looks like in practice — and how leaders can build it deliberately before the pressure forces their hand. Ericka brings two decades of experience building Ettain Group from a startup to over $150 million in revenue, and she doesn't work from theory. The conversation covers the paralysis that's keeping leaders frozen in the face of AI and market uncertainty, the real reason most core values don't stick, and why the most important question you can ask your team this week is one most leaders are avoiding entirely. Three moments stand out. First, Ericka's reframe of vulnerability as a leadership skill — not a weakness, but the muscle that creates psychological safety for everyone around you. Second, her practical breakdown of how to use core values as a daily decision-making lens, not a wall decoration — including what it means when your top producer isn't living them. And third, the zoom in/zoom out framework for knowing which circle to turn to when the weight of leadership gets heavy. This one doesn't just challenge how you think about culture. It gives you something to do about it this week. Key Takeaways Start by starting — The leaders winning right now aren't the most prepared. They're the most willing to act with clarity before they have all the answers. Waiting for certainty is its own kind of decision. Redefine courage for your team — Courage isn't about bold speeches or having the answers. It's about being vulnerable enough to admit what you don't know — and creating a space where your team can do the same. Make your core values a decision-making lens — If your values only live on a wall, they're not working. Define the specific behaviors behind each one, and use them to coach, recognize, promote, and — when necessary — make the hard call. Stop being the complaint department — When you solve every problem that lands on your desk, you train your team to bring you problems instead of solutions. Ask for two ideas before you offer one of your own. Share the backpack — Innovation doesn't have to live at the top. Empower people to own ideas from conception to execution, and watch what happens when they come back with the plan themselves. Know when to zoom in and when to zoom out — Your internal circle helps you execute. Your external circle — peers, coaches, advisors — helps you see the bigger picture. The right conversation in the wrong circle produces the wrong result. Ask the question your organization is avoiding — This week, find someone you trust and ask: what's one conversation we're not having that we should be? Then actually listen. Sponsors 🐼 Allied Insight: Building a courageous culture starts with having the right partners in your corner. Allied Insight helps staffing and consulting firms find their voice, sharpen their positioning, and show up with clarity in the market. The Preferred Marketing Partner of Staffing and Consulting businesses. 🐙 All Things Staffing: Expert resources for the staffing community. Whether you're building culture, navigating change, or growing your firm, All Things Staffing connects you with the tools and insights to move forward. Expert Resources for the Staffing Community.

    56 min
  3. The Invisible Scorecard

    11 MAR

    The Invisible Scorecard

    Summary You've done the RFP. You've narrowed the field. You've sat through the presentations. And somehow, you still aren't sure who to choose. That's not a process failure. That's a signal that the process stopped too soon. In Episode 022 of Highly Adaptive, Jeff Pelliccio and Erin MacKenzie reimagine what vendor evaluation looks like when you go beyond capability and price to organizational alignment. The conversation starts with a real experience: Erin flew to Louisville for a final-two vendor evaluation, and after back-to-back presentations, the client sat both vendors at the same dinner table. No decks. No agenda. Just people telling their stories. What got revealed that night is the whole point of this episode. With conference season here, the timing couldn't be better. You're about to meet more potential partners in a compressed window than at any other point in the year. Jeff and Erin break down how to use that in-person time intentionally with an invisible scorecard that most executives are already running, just not formally. Walk in with it. Use it on purpose. The RFP gets you to the right finalists. This episode helps you figure out who actually belongs in your organization for the long run. Key Takeaways Go beyond the RFP — Capability and price get you to the right finalists. Organizational alignment determines who belongs in your organization for the long run. Build your invisible scorecard — Trustworthiness, emotional intelligence, conflict style, and cultural alignment are already being evaluated. Make those criteria explicit before your next selection process. Use the conference environment actively — Informal settings strip away controlled conditions. Cocktail hours, dinners, and hallway conversations reveal the version of a vendor you'll actually work with. Skip the booth demo for serious finalists — Request a side conversation outside the vendor hall. Change the setting, change the dynamic. Watch who can get off the product — If a vendor can't hold a conversation that isn't about their solution, that tells you something important about the partnership you'd be entering. Bring a buddy — An unbiased second perspective catches what you'll miss and removes bias from your evaluation. Use a simple rubric — Three criteria, a one-to-five scale, and a note taken right after the conversation. Drop it into AI when you're home. Let the data do the work your gut can't do alone. Sponsors 🐼 Allied Insight: When your vendor evaluation is done, your marketing still needs a partner you can trust. Allied Insight works alongside staffing and consulting firms to build the kind of brand presence that earns long-term relationships. The Preferred Marketing Partner of Staffing and Consulting businesses. 🐙 All Things Staffing: The resources your team needs to navigate vendor decisions, industry trends, and everything in between. Expert Resources for the Staffing Community.

    40 min
  4. Run Your Race

    4 MAR

    Run Your Race

    Summary You've read the leadership books. You've taken the courses. But nobody hands you a manual for the version of yourself that had no idea what they were doing...and was terrified for anyone to find out. In this episode of Highly Adaptive, Jeff Pelliccio and Erin MacKenzie turn the mic on themselves. No guest. No borrowed framework. Just two leaders being honest about the gap between who they were and who they've become. Erin opens with a story that sets the tone immediately, she quit a promising corporate job to become a skydiver and bartend at a biker bar in Daytona Beach. What sounds like a detour turned out to be one of the most formative professional experiences of her career, teaching her about risk, authentic connection, and what it actually means to trust the people around you. A chance conversation with an 80-year-old skydiver named Norm (known affectionately as the Sky Fossil) put her on the path that led to everything that followed. Jeff takes the other road. He was the one with the condo at 20, putting himself through college, checking every box in the right order. From the outside, he had it all figured out. On the inside, he was building narratives in his head that nobody else was paying attention to...and spending years performing certainty he didn't have. Together, they surface the lessons that only show up in hindsight: why your insecurities are louder in your head than anywhere else, why the environment doesn't bend to you, and why the most useful thing you can do is stop running someone else's race. Key Takeaways Your insecurities are a solo audience: The narratives you build in your head about what others think of you are almost entirely fiction. Stripping that layer of concern opens up more room to participate, contribute, and connect. Authenticity isn't vulnerability — it's strategy: Trying to fake it in front of experienced people doesn't work. They already know. Showing up as where you actually are builds more rapport and opens more doors than performed confidence ever will. The environment doesn't bend to you: Prioritizing what the environment needs before what you want isn't a compromise. It's the fastest path to getting what you actually want. Empty questions cost more than no questions: Speaking up matters. But understanding what you're asking before you ask it matters just as much. Curiosity without clarity doesn't move the conversation forward. You don't compete on a global stage: you compete with yourself — Using others as benchmarks is fine. Measuring your progress against them is a trap. The only meaningful comparison is where you were yesterday versus where you are today. You're exactly where you're supposed to be: Every moment is the result of a decision you made. That's not a reason to be passive — it's a reason to pay attention to what each moment is teaching you. Don't say no to the opportunity: Growth almost never comes from the comfortable path. Say yes, figure it out, and trust that you'll learn more in motion than you ever would waiting for the right moment. Sponsors 🐼 Allied Insight: When this episode is about running your own race, Allied Insight helps staffing and consulting firms define what that race actually looks like — and build the marketing to match. The Preferred Marketing Partner of Staffing and Consulting businesses. 🐙 All Things Staffing: The resource hub for the staffing community. Expert Resources for the Staffing Community.

    51 min
  5. Power of the Pause

    18 FEB

    Power of the Pause

    Summary You've felt it — that moment when a competitor launches something new and your whole team shifts into chase mode. Meetings get called. Tools get purchased. Playbooks get copied. And three months later, nothing sticks. In this episode of Highly Adaptive, Jeff Pelliccio and Erin MacKenzie unpack why the most powerful move a leader can make right now might be to stop moving — at least for a moment. They dig into the real cost of reactive decision-making: wasted tech investments, team burnout, and strategies that were never built for your organization in the first place. But this isn't just a case for slowing down. Jeff shares the quarterly intake framework he uses to replace impulse with insight — built around five pillars that turn scattered information into a central nervous system for smarter decisions. Erin opens up about building her own "pause muscle," from calendar blocking to using AI as a strategic thinking partner. Together, they make the case that clarity isn't hesitation — it's leadership. If you've ever caught yourself saying "just tell me what works," this episode is your wake-up call. Key Takeaways Reaction Begets Chase — When competitors move, the instinct is to match speed. But chasing someone else's strategy without understanding your own environment leads to misaligned tools, burned-out teams, and wasted resources. The Pause Isn't Slowing Down — It's Preventing the Wrong Momentum — Strategic pausing means understanding the problem before building the solution. Skip the clarity, and you skip the alignment your team needs to execute. Clarity Creates Alignment, Alignment Creates Confidence, Confidence Creates Better Outcomes — This chain is the episode's core framework. When leaders take time to define the "why," everything downstream gets sharper. Define Why Before You Define How — Jeff uses a personal trigger: if he can't clearly articulate why he's doing something and who it impacts, that's his signal to pause. The questions — why does my team care, why do my clients care, why does the community care — become the foundation for better decisions. Build a Central Nervous System for Strategic Decisions — Jeff's quarterly intake framework examines five pillars: best-fit clients, areas of industry focus, frontline pulse, most valuable resources, and areas of friction. The output feeds the entire organization from the same data points. Be the Ball, Don't Chase It — Instead of copying what's working for someone else, ask how you can improve on the concept. Use inspiration as a starting point, not a blueprint. The copy is never as good as the original. Block 90 Minutes — Not to Solution, But to Ask Questions — Erin's tactical advice: block calendar time specifically for strategic thinking. Don't solve anything. Just ask — what problem are we actually solving? What does success look like? What happens if we don't move right now? Sponsors 🐼 Allied Insight — Helping staffing and consulting leaders replace reactive marketing with strategic clarity. The Preferred Marketing Partner of Staffing and Consulting businesses. 🐙 All Things Staffing — Your go-to resource for the insights, tools, and community that keep staffing leaders ahead. Expert Resources for the Staffing Community.

    38 min
  6. Resilience without Certainty with Travis McGrew

    11 FEB

    Resilience without Certainty with Travis McGrew

    Summary In this episode of Highly Adaptive, Jeff Pelliccio and Erin MacKenzie are joined by Travis McGrew at Tracker, to break down a leadership reality most people experience but rarely name: clarity often comes after responsibility—not before it.    Travis reframes resilience as something far more practical than “toughness.” It’s the ability to decide without certainty, stay curious instead of performative, and communicate truth early—before ambiguity turns into fear and teams start protecting themselves instead of aligning. The conversation moves from individual leadership habits (self-talk, internal benchmarks, discomfort patterns) to organizational consequences (trust, transparency, misalignment), giving leaders a clean framework for navigating uncertainty without hardening. Key Takeaways Uncertainty isn’t incompetence — real leadership shows up as curiosity, not fake certainty. Clarity can be created through action — waiting to “feel ready” often means waiting too long. Truth prevents fear — avoiding reality creates ambiguity, and ambiguity fuels misalignment. Manage individuals, not “people” — personal realities always show up at work. Compete with yourself — internal benchmarks are more honest and sustainable. Protect your self-talk — self-doubt compounds faster than you think. Sponsors Allied Insight - The Preferred Marketing Partner of Staffing and Consulting BusinessesAllied Insight helps staffing and consulting leaders turn strategy into clear positioning and consistent execution—so your message holds up when the market gets noisy.   All Things Staffing - Expert Resources for the Staffing CommunityYour hub for practical insights, frameworks, and real-world examples to help staffing leaders outpace change.

    42 min
  7. Showing Up With Intent with Keith Weightman

    4 FEB

    Showing Up With Intent with Keith Weightman

    Summary In this episode of Highly Adaptive, Jeff Pelliccio and Erin MacKenzie are joined by Keith Weightman from Bullhorn to unpack what personal branding actually looks like when it’s done with intent—not gimmicks. Keith breaks down why most leaders struggle to show up consistently: they overthink the algorithm, chase what worked for someone else, or fall into polarizing “rage bait” because it performs. His argument is simple (and refreshing): you can’t time what hits—but you can build trust by showing up consistently with a message your audience can actually use. The conversation gets practical fast: how to review your analytics, remix what already worked, repurpose ideas across formats (including carousels), and keep your voice human—even when you use AI. The result is a repeatable system leaders can run without turning LinkedIn into a full-time job. Key Takeaways Consistency beats the algorithm — you can’t time virality; you can build trust through repetition. Repurpose what already works — use analytics to remix proven ideas into new formats. Avoid polarizing “rage bait” — it may spike engagement, but it taxes credibility. Bring solutions, not complaints — don’t surface problems without proposing 1–3 options. AI can support your process — use it for ideation and clarity, but don’t copy/paste a voice that isn’t yours. Preparation is the advantage — the downside is limited, and the upside is exponential. Sponsors Allied Insight - The Preferred Marketing Partner of Staffing and Consulting Businesses Allied Insight helps staffing and consulting leaders turn strategy into clear positioning and consistent execution—so your message holds up when the market gets noisy. All Things Staffing - Expert Resources for the Staffing Community Your hub for industry insights, frameworks, and real-world examples to help staffing leaders outpace change.

    36 min
  8. Digital Dust to Gold with Mark Hummel

    14 JAN

    Digital Dust to Gold with Mark Hummel

    Summary In this episode of Highly Adaptive, Jeff Pelliccio and Erin MacKenzie are joined by Mark Hummel, founder of Toro Insights, to tackle a problem most staffing leaders feel every day—but rarely name: you’re collecting a mountain of data…and still making decisions like you don’t have any. Mark breaks down why “if it’s not in the ATS, it didn’t happen” became an industry mantra—and why it backfires when the data you’re collecting turns into digital dust: hard to access, hard to segment, and slow to use. The hidden cost isn’t storage. It’s time, missed opportunities, underused automation investments, and teams rebuilding lists from scratch because the system can’t surface what they need. The episode gets extremely practical: where the real competitive intelligence actually lives (emails, texts, and conversations), how to run a DIY “external search” audit to find your missing data fields, and how to think about AI as a coach that gives your team superpowers—not a shortcut that replaces the fundamentals. The core message lands clean: digital dust becomes digital gold when you know where to “swing the hammer.” Key Takeaways Your differentiator is hidden – Competitive advantage lives in what you know, not how many resumes you store. Digital dust is expensive – The biggest cost is time: tear sheets, list rebuilding, and analysis paralysis. Automation fails without segmentation – If data isn’t structured, your automation tools can’t deliver ROI. Mine conversations for stories – Emails/texts/LinkedIn messages hold the proof points that win deals. Start with the external search test – If teams go to LinkedIn first, identify what they’re looking for and where your system is missing it. Use AI as a coach – Train and empower recruiters with institutional knowledge, not generic outreach “slop.” Sponsors Allied Insight - The Preferred Marketing Partner of Staffing and Consulting Businesses Turn your operational story into a market story. Allied Insight helps staffing and consulting leaders align strategy, message, and execution—so your brand and your systems work together to drive growth. All Things Staffing - Expert Resources for the Staffing Community Your hub for staffing insights, case studies, and operator-grade frameworks. All Things Staffing helps leaders turn ideas like “data strategy” into practical next steps that improve outcomes.

    39 min
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About

Real conversations. Real leaders. Insights you can use. Highly Adaptive is where executives and change makers come to hear what's actually working—not what's being sold. Hosts Jeff Pelliccio and Erin MacKenzie bring together operators, advisors, and industry leaders for candid 30-minute conversations that deliver actionable takeaways, not theoretical fluff. Every episode tackles what matters to leaders navigating change: AI strategy, digital transformation, growth tactics, team development, and the decisions that shape organizations. The approach is agnostic—no platform pushing, no vendor allegiance—just multi-perspective truth that helps you cut through noise and lead with confidence. Whether you're running an organization, advising one, or driving change from within, this podcast exists to help you adapt and stay ahead. --- Our Sponsors: Allied Insight & All Things Staffing

Information

  • Creator
    Jeff Pelliccio
  • Years Active
    2025 - 2026
  • Episodes
    24
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Copyright 2025 All rights reserved.
  • Show Website
    Highly Adaptive