How I Turned The Corner

Kendra Prospero
  • 4.6 (9)
  • Entrepreneurship
  • Updated Weekly

Many founders and entrepreneurs start their business because they have an itch to solve a problem but they reach a point along the way where they realize they can’t do it on their own. They have to hire and now they’re a manager. Now they are truly leading and this is where most businesses fail unless they turn the corner. Every leader goes through a place where they hit this humbling moment. Join us on How I Turned The Corner and hear stories from seasoned founders who experience this.   For over a decade, Kendra's career has been all about creating healthier and more rewarding work environments. She has served hundreds of clients in revamping their corporate cultures, revitalizing their recruiting and helping them retain their people.   Kendra is your guide in disrupting the market and impacting the lives of many without jeopardizing the satisfaction of your employees. She brings to the podcast her most powerful frameworks for earning high profits and building a well-rounded team. If you feel out of touch with your people and fail to understand their challenges, Kendra is here to help change your perspective.   Kendra leads with the most difficult conversation, the one business leaders often try to avoid: the right way to scale your workplace culture. She sits down with founders and owners who share how they grew their teams from a small group of talented individuals. They also open up about the obstacles they had to overcome as entrepreneurs. Listen as they discuss valuable lessons on how to avoid getting lost in the whirlwind of raising capital and launching top-notch products. Find out how to place more attention on recruiting employees, provide them with proper training, and make sure that they engage with their work.   The future of your business depends on your employees. Now is the time to hear them out and give them that much-needed love. When they are happy, they can give their best every single day.   Listen to Kendra's eye-opening episodes of How I Turned The Corner at https://turningthecornerHR.com/podcast .

  1. 3d ago

    An Unusual Interview Process That WORKS with 1440 Media's Tim Huelskamp

    What does it really take to build a high-performing team—especially when that team is fully remote? In this episode of How I Turned the Corner, Kendra Prospero sits down with Tim Huelskamp, CEO of 1440 Media, the bootstrapped news and knowledge company reaching nearly 5 million readers across the United States. Before building 1440, Tim spent a decade in private equity, where he learned a lesson that would shape the way he leads today: the team you build can be one of the biggest drivers of a company’s value. Tim shares how 1440 creates a culture built around intellectual curiosity, ownership, transparency, flexibility, and trust—and why leaders should hire exceptional people, invest in their development, and then get out of their way. You’ll also hear the three qualities 1440 looks for in every hire, how the company makes remote work actually work, and the unusual “mock board meeting” Tim uses during the interview process to see candidates in action before making an offer. In this conversation: Why hiring the right people can transform an entire companyThe three qualities Tim looks for in every 1440 hireWhy passion for the work matters so muchHow transparency helps employees think beyond their individual rolesHow 1440 builds connection across a fully remote workforceWhy autonomy and trust are central to its cultureHow remote work dramatically expands the available talent poolWhy small businesses can’t afford to get hiring wrongThe mock board meeting 1440 uses to evaluate candidatesHow to assess culture fit based on behaviors instead of predictable interview answersWhether you’re a founder, business owner, people leader, or hiring manager, this episode offers a practical look at how intentional hiring and leadership can create a team where talented people are equipped to do their best work.

  2. Jul 15

    Your Company Isn't a Family (And Why That's a Good Thing) with Scott Lewis

    Most leaders think better policies create better companies. Scott Lewis believes the opposite. As co-founder of Spartan Investment Group, Scott has helped grow the company to more than $800 million in assets under management while building a culture centered on trust, accountability, and recognition instead of bureaucracy. In this conversation with Kendra, Scott shares why he rejects unnecessary workplace rules, why companies should think like teams instead of families, and how simple recognition practices can dramatically improve performance. Whether you're leading five people or five hundred, this episode is packed with practical ideas you can implement immediately. In this episode you'll learn:  Why policies often replace good leadership  The difference between managing assets and leading people  How recognition drives performance without huge budgets  Why Scott says companies are teams—not families  The leadership principles he learned from the military  How autonomy, purpose, and mastery create stronger cultures  Practical ways to build accountability without micromanaging  How AI can increase productivity without replacing great employees If you're serious about creating a workplace where people thrive and businesses grow, this episode is for you.

  3. Jun 17

    The Phoenix Principle: Rebuilding with Purpose with FireSpring's Jay Wilkinson

    What happens when you lose everything? In this episode of How I Turned the Corner, Jay Wilkinson returns to share the profound lessons he learned after a devastating house fire destroyed nearly all of his possessions—and how that experience deepened his commitment to helping businesses become a force for good. Jay, founder of FireSpring and the Do More Good Movement, discusses the upcoming ROI of Why Conference, conscious capitalism, purpose-driven leadership, and the research behind what makes organizations truly thrive. Together, Kendra and Jay explore: Why purpose-driven companies outperform profit-only organizationsThe three pillars of successful workplace culturesHow leaders can align employees with meaningful workThe future of work in the age of AIWhy businesses should aspire to be "the best company for the world"Whether you're a CEO, entrepreneur, people leader, or simply someone interested in meaningful work, this conversation offers practical insights and inspiration for leading with greater purpose. #Leadership #PurposeDrivenBusiness #ConsciousCapitalism #CompanyCulture #FutureOfWork

  4. Jun 5

    The Outfit Is Just the Beginning - Amara Martin of Dress for Success

    What if the biggest barrier to landing a life-changing job was simply not having the right outfit? In this episode of How I Turned the Corner, host Tim Rhodes sits down with Amara Martin, CEO of Dress for Success Denver, to discuss how the organization is helping women build confidence, careers, and economic independence. While many people know Dress for Success for providing professional clothing, Amara explains how the organization has expanded far beyond the suit. Through career coaching, leadership development, networking opportunities, and community support, they help women navigate every stage of their professional journey. Amara also shares powerful lessons for leaders about empathy, flexibility, belonging, and the importance of seeing employees as whole people. Drawing from her own experiences as a nonprofit leader and cancer survivor, she offers practical insights on vulnerability, advocacy, and building workplaces where people can truly thrive. In this episode you'll learn:  Why confidence often starts before the interview  How belonging impacts workplace performance  The hidden challenges many employees face  Why rigid workplace policies often fail  How leaders can use their influence to create positive change  The role vulnerability plays in effective leadership Learn more about Dress for Success Denver: https://denver.dressforsuccess.org #Leadership #WomenInBusiness #WorkplaceCulture #CareerDevelopment #NonprofitLeadership #DressForSuccess

  5. May 6

    How Snooze Mattress's Matt Smith Built a People-First Franchise

    Sleep isn’t just wellness advice — it might be your greatest competitive advantage. In this conversation, entrepreneur Matt Smith shares how he built Snooze Mattress into a people first franchise empire, focusing relentlessly on people, culture, and servant leadership. From hiring philosophy to franchise scaling to the science of better sleep, this episode offers practical leadership lessons and a refreshing perspective on what sustainable success really looks like. Matt shares: His journey from mattress salesman to international franchise ownerThe leadership lessons behind scaling to 40+ locationsThe 3 traits he looks for in every franchiseeWhy communication drives business successHow sleep impacts performance, wellness, and longevity This episode is packed with insights for entrepreneurs, leaders, franchise operators, and anyone interested in building businesses centered around people and purpose.

  6. Apr 15

    100th Episode - Leadership at Its Most Human: Inside Craig Hospital with Dr. Jandel Allen-Davis

    In this special 100th episode of How I Turned the Corner, we sit down with Dr. Jandel Allen-Davis, CEO of Craig Hospital, a nationally recognized leader in spinal cord and brain injury rehabilitation. From her early days as an OB-GYN to leading a world-class healthcare organization, Dr. Allen-Davis shares a powerful perspective on what leadership really looks like when people are at their most vulnerable. She discusses the importance of presence over position, why culture is something you protect—not just build—and how compassion fuels high performance. We also explore the evolving landscape of healthcare, the challenges of scaling without losing your organization’s soul, and her commitment to building more inclusive leadership pipelines. This is a conversation about purpose, people, and the kind of leadership that leaves a lasting impact. Key topics: Human-centered leadership in healthcareBuilding and protecting organizational cultureLeading through change and growthRepresentation and leadership pipelinesCreating commitment vs. complianceIf you're interested in leadership that actually connects—this episode is for you.

  7. Mar 4

    Scaling a Mission-Driven Startup Without Losing Culture - with Caleb Polley of Cubby Beds

    Caleb Polley, founder of Cubby Beds, joins the show to share how he built a mission-driven medical technology company helping children with complex disabilities sleep safely. Starting with prototypes in a garage, Caleb scaled Cubby into a fast-growing company serving families across the country. In this episode, he explains why intentional hiring and structured onboarding became critical to building a strong culture and scaling the organization. We explore:  Why hiring should be treated as a core business processHow mission-driven companies attract great talentDesigning roles and competencies before posting a jobThe power of structured interviews and scorecardsCreating 30-60-90 onboarding plans that set new hires up for successThe real cost of a bad hireIf you’re building a team, scaling a startup, or leading a mission-driven organization, this episode is packed with practical insights.

  8. Feb 17

    Balancing Teams in Uncertain Times - with Theo Edmonds

    In this live episode from the Rocky Mountain Total Rewards Conference, Kendra Prospero speaks with culture futurist Theo Edmonds about the future of innovation—and what’s really holding organizations back. Theo argues that creativity isn’t soft. It’s measurable. And it’s one of the most powerful performance drivers in today’s AI-driven economy. They discuss: How unprocessed grief reduces innovation capacityWhy AI may be creating a “race to the bottomThe shift from solutions to better questionMeasuring creative brain capital as a leading KPIBuilding balanced teams that thrive under uncertainty If you’re a CEO, HR leader, or innovation strategist, this conversation will change how you think about performance.

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4.6
out of 5
9 Ratings

About

Many founders and entrepreneurs start their business because they have an itch to solve a problem but they reach a point along the way where they realize they can’t do it on their own. They have to hire and now they’re a manager. Now they are truly leading and this is where most businesses fail unless they turn the corner. Every leader goes through a place where they hit this humbling moment. Join us on How I Turned The Corner and hear stories from seasoned founders who experience this.   For over a decade, Kendra's career has been all about creating healthier and more rewarding work environments. She has served hundreds of clients in revamping their corporate cultures, revitalizing their recruiting and helping them retain their people.   Kendra is your guide in disrupting the market and impacting the lives of many without jeopardizing the satisfaction of your employees. She brings to the podcast her most powerful frameworks for earning high profits and building a well-rounded team. If you feel out of touch with your people and fail to understand their challenges, Kendra is here to help change your perspective.   Kendra leads with the most difficult conversation, the one business leaders often try to avoid: the right way to scale your workplace culture. She sits down with founders and owners who share how they grew their teams from a small group of talented individuals. They also open up about the obstacles they had to overcome as entrepreneurs. Listen as they discuss valuable lessons on how to avoid getting lost in the whirlwind of raising capital and launching top-notch products. Find out how to place more attention on recruiting employees, provide them with proper training, and make sure that they engage with their work.   The future of your business depends on your employees. Now is the time to hear them out and give them that much-needed love. When they are happy, they can give their best every single day.   Listen to Kendra's eye-opening episodes of How I Turned The Corner at https://turningthecornerHR.com/podcast .

Information

  • Creator
    Kendra Prospero
  • Years Active
    2022 - 2026
  • Episodes
    105
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © 2026 How I Turned The Corner
  • Show Website
    How I Turned The Corner