Building A Clear Authentic Brand- Hiring & Retention Strategies

Amy Dardis- Hiring Strategist
  • 5.0 (5)
  • ENTREPRENEURSHIP

Building a Clear Authentic Brand is a practical, faith-led business podcast for business owners in people-driven service industries who want clarity and alignment in their business. Hosted by Amy Dardis, hiring strategist and co-founder of Clear Authentic Brands, this show is built around three things: people, purpose, and process. We talk about how to hire and retain great people, build a culture rooted in purpose, and implement processes that bring alignment and accountability—while protecting authenticity.  Topics we cover: Hiring strategy and building a repeatable hiring processInterviews that reveal role fit, character, and real patterns Retention and reducing turnover through alignmentCulture, values, standards, and non-negotiablesLeadership, communication, and accountability rhythmsOnboarding and orientation that set people up to winTeam expectations, role clarity, and performance standardsServing people well—employees, customers, and communityFaith-led leadership and honoring God through business stewardshipFind real-world insight you can actually apply, plus lessons from our own journey to encourage you as you build a brand people believe in and want to be part of.  www.ClearAuthenticBrands.com

  1. 4D AGO

    39- How to Structure Interviews So People Actually Open Up

    Interviews are naturally tense. People get nervous, go into “say the right thing” mode, and the whole thing can feel more like an interrogation than a conversation. But if you can’t get a glimpse of the real person, the interview is basically pointless—because the truth always shows up later anyway. In this episode, I walk you through how to intentionally curate the interview experience—who’s in the room, how you flow your questions, and how you respond—so people relax, drop their guard, and you can actually evaluate what matters: role fit + values fit inside your company DNA. Episode Highlights Why “performance mode” interviews block truth and connectionThe ideal number of interviewers to have in the room How to structure question depth Responses and cues that make candidates relax and open upThe simple test: “Does this feel like a conversation… or an interrogation?”How to use a mini company pitch as a “scare test” Resources and Links High-Signal Interview Questions (free download): ClearAuthenticBrands.com/resources

    32 min

  2. FEB 2

    38- How To Build A Hiring Process That Reveals Performance And Culture Fit

    We share a step-by-step hiring blueprint that reveals the real person before you make an offer and ties every decision to evidence, not gut feel.  Because hiring has one job: reveal the truth about a person before you make the offer. In this episode, we break down the principles that make hiring work, and the phases that take you from clarity → interviews → offer → orientation—so you’re hiring the person who shows up 90 days from now, not the person who showed up on interview day.  Episode Highlights The real job of hiring: reveal the truth before the offerWhy hiring should be treated like a sales process The 6 objectives your hiring experience must accomplishHow to look for evidence across every touchpoint (not just the interview)Why objective hiring requires defined criteria + scorecardsThe phases of a full hiring systemWhy most retention issues start as misalignment, and misalignment starts in hiringResources & Links Free Interview Questions download: ClearAuthenticBrands.com/resourcesLearn how we help build fully custom, highly systematized, deeply human hiring processes at Clearauthenticbrands.comRelated Episodes: Ep 33- Why Hiring Is the Most Important Process in Your BusinessEp 34- The Real Cost of Hiring The Wrong PersonEp 35- The 6 Objectives of Interviewing To Hire With ConfidenceEp 36- Why You Should Always Do Two Interviews Before HiringEp 37- The 3 Things Every Interview Must Reveal

    29 min

  3. JAN 26

    37- The 3 Things Every Interview Must Reveal

    We’re talking about what you should actually be looking for in an interview—so you stop hiring based on “good conversations” and start hiring based on clarity, proof, and long-term fit. If you’re not clear on what you’re trying to reveal, you end up asking surface-level questions, hearing “good answers,” and then discovering the truth after the hire. In this episode, we break down the simple framework that makes interviewing more objective and repeatable: capacity, character, and evidence. Episode Highlights Why “good answers” don’t always reveal the real personThe 80/20 problem in most interviews (and how to flip it)The 3 things every interview must reveal: Capacity, Character, EvidenceHow to assess capacity through abilities, potential, and bandwidthWhy “good character” isn’t specific enough—and how to define your company’s character criteriaWhy you should never ask hypothetical questions (“what if” vs “what is”)How personal-life patterns often mirror work patterns (and what that reveals)Resources & Links Free High-Signal Interview Questions download: ClearAuthenticBrands.com/resourcesRelated Episodes: Ep 33- Why Hiring Is the Most Important Process in Your BusinessEp 34- The Real Cost of Hiring The Wrong PersonEp 35- The 6 Objectives of Interviewing To Hire With ConfidenceEp 36- Why You Should Always Do Two Interviews Before Hiring

    28 min

  4. JAN 19

    36- Why You Should Always Do Two Interviews Before Hiring

    We’re talking about one of the simplest changes you can make that instantly improves your hiring decisions: always do two interviews. If you only do one interview right now, this is my #1 recommendation—change it to two. We lay out exactly how to structure each one so you can see beyond rehearsed answers and hire for long-term fit.  Episode Highlights The problem with only doing one interviewWhy you need a second interviewHow to structure interview oneHow to structure interview twoTips for fostering trust and connectionHow small signals across touchpoints inform decisionsResources & Links Free Interview Questions download: ClearAuthenticBrands.com/resources

    21 min

  5. JAN 15

    35- The 6 Objectives of Interviewing To Hire With Confidence

    We break down six objectives that turn interviews into confident, repeatable hiring decisions. From revealing the real person to communicating expectations, we map an approach that raises success rates and reduces mis‑hires. Episode Highlights:  Objective #1: Reveal the real person  Objective #2: Understand their motivation Objective #3: Determine alignment using the Alignment Model:Culture: values, work style, traits, and non-negotiablesCapacity: ability, potential, and bandwidth for this role in this seasonContribution: the value and impact they’ll bring to the team and business Objective #4: Make your pitch as a company  Objective #5: Communicate expectations clearly  Objective #6: Make a confident decision  Why clarity + great questions change everything Resources & Links Download the free hiring tools: Candidate Alignment Evaluation + Interview Questions at ClearAuthenticBrands.com/resourcesRelated Episodes Episodes 12–18- Creating Alignment with Your People Series Ep 2-  The Framework To Build A Clear Authentic Brand  Ep 3-  Why Clarity Is the Foundation of a Clear, Authentic Brand

    29 min

  6. JAN 12

    34- The Real Cost of Hiring The Wrong Person

    When you’re short-staffed, the pressure to fill a seat fast is real. But the “quick fix” hire almost always turns into long-term pain—more stress, more drama, and you right back at square one. I’ve seen it too many times: we hire out of urgency, not clarity, and then we pay for it for months. In this episode we unpack the hidden costs of hiring the wrong person and how misalignment in culture or capacity erodes trust, performance, and customer experience. We share a simple, objective way to slow down up front, hire with clarity, and stop the cycle for good. Episode Highlights  The pressure to fill roles fast and its long-term damageDefinition of the "wrong person" How capacity misalignment shows up How culture misalignment shows up The compounding costs of misalignmentShifting mindset from quick relief to durable resultsBuilding a team where retention is driven by fit, not chanceResources & Links Download the Brand Clarity Elements at ClearAuthenticBrands.com/resourcesDownload the Candidate Evaluation Form at ClearAuthenticBrands.com/resourcesLearn more at ClearAuthenticBrands.comRelated Episodes Ep 33- Why Hiring Is the Most Important Process in Your Business Episodes 12–18 People Alignment Series (Culture, Capacity, Contribution)

    30 min

  7. JAN 8

    33- Why Hiring Is the Most Important Process in Your Business

    If hiring feels exhausting, expensive, or like a constant cycle you can’t escape, I get it. Most business owners aren’t struggling because they don’t care—they’re struggling because they’ve never been taught a real process for finding the right people. In this episode we dive into why hiring is the most important process in your business, what it really means to hire the right people, and how to start building the right process.  Episode Highlights Why people are the greatest asset and the biggest growth lever in any business.Defining a “right hire" vs. a "wrong hire” for your organization and season.The Alignment Model: Culture, Capacity, and Contribution.Shifting from filling roles to building teamsTurning a rushed process into a structured oneClarity as the foundation to create alignment and accountabilityResources & Links Learn more at ClearAuthenticBrands.comDownload Brand Clarity Elements at ClearAuthenticBrands.com/resourcesMentioned business books: Traction, Good to Great, The Advantage, Start With WhyRelated Episodes Episodes 12–18- Creating Alignment with Your People Series Ep 2-  The Framework To Build A Clear Authentic Brand  Ep 3-  Why Clarity Is the Foundation of a Clear, Authentic Brand

    29 min

  8. JAN 5

    32- How to Build a Clear Vision for Your Life

    If you’ve been feeling distracted, overwhelmed, or like you’re working hard but drifting… you’re not alone. Sometimes the problem isn’t a lack of effort—it’s a lack of vision. And without a clear picture of where you’re going, it’s easy to let life (and business) quietly run you. This episode is about slowing down long enough to ask: what am I actually building, and who am I becoming? I share the exercise that changed my life—one that helped me get honest about the gap between the life I wanted and the life I was living, and then start taking small, faithful steps toward real change.  Episode Highlights  How “Beginning with the End in Mind” helped me write a clear picture of my life Assessing the gap between what life looks like today and the future we wantRealizing I was the bottleneck in my own life, which meant change was actually possible. Shifting from willpower to Spirit-led change The “F” framework to assess your whole life: Faith, Family, Friends, Finances, Fitness, Food, Fun, Function, Focus, Fruit, Fear. Scriptures Referenced Romans 12:2 — being transformed by the renewing of your mindGalatians 5:22–23 — the fruit of the SpiritMatthew 22:37–39 — love God and love people2 Corinthians 10:5 — taking thoughts captive and making them obedient to ChristResources & Links Learn more at ClearAuthenticBrands.comThe 7 Habits of Highly Effective People — Stephen CoveyThe Power to Change — Craig GroeschelRelated Episodes Ep 31- Rhythms & Habits to Find Clarity in the ChaosThe “F” Framework Use these buckets to write what you want your life to look like, then compare it to where you are today. 1) Faith What does your relationship with God look like right now?Word, prayer, church, spiritual rhythms, presence, intimacyAre there routines that keep God central in your life and home?2) Family Marriage connection, communication, fun, intimacy, teamworkParenting: patience, presence, relationship, quality timeHome environment: peaceful or tense? safe or stressful?3) Friendship & Fellowship Do you have people who encourage you toward God and growth?Community, small group, social circle, relationships that are life-giving4) Finances Peace or anxiety? stewardship or avoidance?Debt, spending habits, generosity, faith in “planting seasons”5) Fitness Strength, energy, movement, health habitsSymptoms, stress, routines, and how your body feels day-to-day6) Food Fuel vs. coping, control vs. chaosCooking routines, eating out, habits, emotional relationship with food7) Fun Do you know what fun is for you?Are you enjoying life, or only working and surviving?8) Function (Work) How does work impact your life right now?Stress, fulfillment, balance, strengths, motivation, business health9) Focus (Calling & Kingdom Impact) How did God wire you? What gifts are you developing and using?Where do you feel alive? Where are you serving people with purpose?10) Fruit Evidence of the fruit of the Spirit: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, gentleness, faithfulness, self-controlWhere is fruit growing—and where is it missing?11) Fear What fears are shaping your decisions?Fear of failure, rejection, judgment, losing sec

    38 min
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Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
5 Ratings

About

Building a Clear Authentic Brand is a practical, faith-led business podcast for business owners in people-driven service industries who want clarity and alignment in their business. Hosted by Amy Dardis, hiring strategist and co-founder of Clear Authentic Brands, this show is built around three things: people, purpose, and process. We talk about how to hire and retain great people, build a culture rooted in purpose, and implement processes that bring alignment and accountability—while protecting authenticity.  Topics we cover: Hiring strategy and building a repeatable hiring processInterviews that reveal role fit, character, and real patterns Retention and reducing turnover through alignmentCulture, values, standards, and non-negotiablesLeadership, communication, and accountability rhythmsOnboarding and orientation that set people up to winTeam expectations, role clarity, and performance standardsServing people well—employees, customers, and communityFaith-led leadership and honoring God through business stewardshipFind real-world insight you can actually apply, plus lessons from our own journey to encourage you as you build a brand people believe in and want to be part of.  www.ClearAuthenticBrands.com

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