HR After Dark With Marcia & Meghan

The O'Connor Group
  • 5.0 (4)
  • Management
  • Updated Biweekly

In the world of Human Resources, staying updated on the latest insights, trends, and discussions is crucial. But why settle for the ordinary when you can have the extraordinary? Join Marcia and Meghan as they bring a fresh perspective to the HR landscape, adding a twist to every conversation. Whether you're an HR professional looking to stay ahead of the curve, a business leader seeking innovative HR solutions, or simply curious about the inner workings of the modern workplace, HR After Dark is your go-to destination. But here's the best part: HR After Dark isn't your typical HR podcast. Prepare for candid discussions, unexpected insights, and maybe even a few laughs along the way. After all, who said HR couldn't be fun?

  1. Jun 2

    Healthy Food, Hospitality & Building a Loyal Team: Meridith Coyle of ANUE Kitchens

    Meridith Coyle has been doing what everyone else just started talking about — for 33 years. The founder of ANUE Kitchens joins Meghan for a wide-ranging conversation about building a mission-driven food business from the ground up, what it really takes to retain employees for 20-plus years, and why she believes hospitality belongs in medicine. From losing her father and pivoting out of grad school, to franchising research, a commissary build-out, and locations from Bryn Mawr to the Jersey Shore — Meridith is growing fast and doing it on her own terms. She also gets real about reactive leadership, learning to pause, and why "grow or die" has been her business philosophy from day one. If you lead a team, care about employee wellness, or just want to hear from someone who figured out the culture piece before it was a buzzword — this one's for you. In this episode: How Meridith stumbled into food and wellness after her father's illnessWhy she believes food is medicine — and how she's bringing hospitality to healthcareBuilding a team that stays: 20-plus year employees and the culture behind itHiring for character first — and what that looks like in practiceThe new ANUE commissary, Valley Forge Park, and what's coming nextLearning to pause: Meridith's biggest leadership lesson learned the hard wayWhat employers can do better to support employee wellness🎙️ Guest: Meridith Coyle, Founder — ANUE Kitchens 🌐 https://aneukitchens.com/ HR After Dark is hosted by Meghan and Marcia of The O'Connor Group. 🔗 Learn more: https://tocgrp.com/insights/podcasts #HRLeadership #EmployeeWellness #HospitalityBusiness #WorkplaceCulture #HealthyLiving

    1h 1m

  2. May 21

    From 10 Employees to 450: The Love-Based Leadership Philosophy Behind 12th Street Catering

    What does it take to rebuild a hospitality business from 10 employees back to 450 after COVID — and do it right this time? Adam Delloso, COO of Philadelphia's 12th Street Catering, joins Marcia and Meghan to talk about the leadership philosophy that's driving real growth: making decisions from love instead of fear, hiring for care over credentials, and building a culture where people rise to the top. Adam gets real about his cancer diagnosis, work addiction, the grind that nearly cost him his family, and how he finally learned that being present — at home and at work — is the most important leadership skill of all. If you're scaling a team, navigating uncertainty, or just trying to keep your people engaged in a chaotic world, this one's for you. In this episode: How 12th Street Catering went from 10 people during COVID to 450 employees todayWhy Adam makes every business decision from love — not fearThe EOS framework and how it reshaped hiring, accountability, and cultureIdentifying and developing leaders inside a 450-person hospitality operationThe cancer diagnosis that forced Adam to rethink everythingWhy working harder isn't the same as working smarter — and what to do insteadCelebrating wins louder than fear in an uncertain economy🎙️ Guest: Adam Delloso, COO — 12th Street Catering 🌐 12thstreetcatering.com 🔗 Learn more: https://tocgrp.com/insights/podcasts

    35 min

  3. May 7

    Why Smart Leaders Are Still Burning Out... and the Neuroscience Fix Nobody's Talking About

    What if the biggest threat to your organization's performance isn't your strategy, your technology, or your talent pipeline — but the invisible stress load your people are carrying without even knowing it? In this episode of HR After Dark, Marcia and Meghan sit down with Dr. Julie Lopez — serial entrepreneur, clinical expert with over 30 years in the field, and founder of the Veeva Center and Leaders Loving Life — to explore the science of the human system and what it means for today's leaders, HR teams, and organizations. Dr. Lopez breaks down why traditional, talk-based approaches to mental health and performance improvement are too slow for the modern workplace, and how brain-based, body-based, and expressive therapeutic methods are producing faster, more lasting results. From a client who resolved five years of fertility struggles in a single month, to an entrepreneur who finally wrote his newsletter after six months of avoidance — Dr. Lopez makes the science feel real, relatable, and immediately actionable. You'll also hear a candid conversation about the post-pandemic workplace, the hidden costs of remote and hybrid work on human connection, the neurobiology of presenteeism, and why 75% of high-performing leaders come from a background of adversity — and what that means for organizational culture. Whether you're an HR professional, a CEO, or a people leader trying to move the needle on burnout, retention, and employee wellbeing, this episode will change how you think about your most valuable resource: your people. 🔗 Find Dr. Julie Lopez at: www.leaderslovinglife.com📖 Grab her book Live Empowered — and access free nervous system reset resources on her site.🌐 Learn more about The O'Connor Group: https://tocgrp.com/insights/podcasts

    42 min

  4. Apr 23

    What HR Leaders Need to Know About Elder Care, Caregiver Burnout, and Employee Retention

    Most employees aren't just managing their workload — they're managing aging parents, dementia diagnoses, and a long-term care system that's increasingly broken. And most employers have no idea. In this episode, Marcia and Meghan sit down with Bryan Adler, board-certified elder law attorney and co-founder of Rothko Law Group, to talk about what's really happening in elder care in America — and why it belongs in every HR leader's conversation about benefits, retention, and employee wellbeing. Bryan shares why he walked away from traditional elder law to build something completely different, what the caregiving crisis actually looks like on the ground, and how employers can support employees who are quietly drowning in the sandwich generation — or something even harder. They also dig into what it means to build a mission-driven team, why your best hires aren't looking for a job, and what Bryan has learned the hard way about leading a growing firm with seven offices. If you're an HR leader, CEO, people manager, or anyone navigating the intersection of work and family caregiving, this one will change how you think about your benefits package — and your people. In this episode: Why elder care costs have nearly doubled — and what that means for your workforceThe caregiving crisis hiding inside your employee base right nowHow employers can offer elder care resources without spending a fortuneEarly-onset dementia, the new sandwich generation, and what HR needs to understandBryan's hiring philosophy: mission-driven candidates vs. job seekersWhat Bryan learned about transparency, leadership, and letting go as his firm scaledLong-term care insurance — what agents won't tell you and what you actually need to know

    34 min

  5. Mar 19

    Workplace Wellness That Actually Works: Burnout, Boundaries, and Better Habits

    Wellness isn’t a water challenge and a prayer. In this episode, Marcia and Meghan sit down with wellness strategist Julie Palumbo, founder of Best Whole Self, to talk about what workplace wellness looks like when it’s done right: less “check the box,” more real support that actually reduces burnout and improves performance. Julie shares how her own health journey (including a Crohn’s diagnosis) reshaped her career, what companies are getting wrong about employee wellness, and what leaders can do to build a culture where people don’t feel guilty taking care of themselves. They also dig into modern work realities—commuting stress, blurred boundaries, “micro-shifting,” and why employees are still overwhelmed even when they’re working fewer hours. If you’re an HR leader, CEO, or people manager trying to improve retention, productivity, and wellbeing without turning it into corporate fluff, this one’s for you. In this episode: The top workplace wellness topics companies request right nowBurnout, boundaries, and how leaders can spot when teams need supportWhy ongoing coaching beats one-off workshops“Micro-shifting” and the new workday realityThe BEST framework: Balance, Energy, Strategy, TransformationWhy preventative care is becoming a business strategy (not just a benefit)👍 Like, subscribe, and share with the coworker who needs a wellness reset.

    37 min

  6. Mar 5

    HR Reset for 2026: AI, Hybrid Work, and the Leadership Wake-Up Call

    It’s Season 2 — and Marcia and Meghan are back with a fresh HR Reset for 2026. From “damp January” and espresso martinis to the serious stuff: what leaders actually need to focus on this year if they want to hit goals, keep great people, and avoid burnout. They dig into the big themes shaping HR right now: why most HR teams aren’t ready for AI, how culture is getting harder to define (and easier to lose), what “skills-first hiring” really means, and why HR has a huge opportunity to move from checkbox support to true strategic advisor. If you’re an HR leader, CEO, or people manager trying to make sense of AI, hybrid work, retention, and leadership development—this episode is your 2026 starting line. In this episode: AI in HR: why companies are behind and what to do nextSkills-first hiring and the “quiet hiring” shiftCulture, retention, and what hybrid work breaks (and can fix)Why leadership development is the real bottleneckTransparency, communication, and “the three C’s” CEOs need now

    25 min

  7. 07/31/2025

    Leading with Transparency: Building a People-First Culture at Scale

    In this episode of HR After Dark, Marcia and Meghan sit down with David Beattie, Executive Vice President at PeopleShare, to talk candidly about leading a 50+ person team across multiple states while staying rooted in transparency, culture, and trust. David shares how his “diamond-shaped support model” flips traditional hierarchies, and how the company’s hybrid work philosophy—start the week together, end the week together—fosters team unity without sacrificing flexibility. From facing the “brutal facts” to avoiding top-performer burnout, this episode is packed with real-world leadership insights and hard-earned wisdom on building a workforce that’s both high-performing and human.

    45 min

  8. 07/17/2025

    Empowering Women to Build Wealth: Tips for Financial Success

    In this episode of HR After Dark, Marcia and Meghan are joined by Regina McCann Hess, Founder of Forge Wealth Management. Regina emphasizes the importance of what you keep over what you spend and shares her approach to empowering women in wealth-building. She explains how open conversations around the breakfast table about finances can help maintain healthy spending habits. Tune in to hear Regina’s expert advice on saving for retirement, college, and other financial goals.

    26 min
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5
out of 5
4 Ratings

About

In the world of Human Resources, staying updated on the latest insights, trends, and discussions is crucial. But why settle for the ordinary when you can have the extraordinary? Join Marcia and Meghan as they bring a fresh perspective to the HR landscape, adding a twist to every conversation. Whether you're an HR professional looking to stay ahead of the curve, a business leader seeking innovative HR solutions, or simply curious about the inner workings of the modern workplace, HR After Dark is your go-to destination. But here's the best part: HR After Dark isn't your typical HR podcast. Prepare for candid discussions, unexpected insights, and maybe even a few laughs along the way. After all, who said HR couldn't be fun?

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